



Class 

Book . 



PRESENTED liV 



/ 



MODEM CONSTITUTIONS. 




PART I. 

THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION. 

THE VIRGINIA PLAN. 

THE JERSEY PLAN. 

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. 

ACT OF CONGRESS, JAN. 19, 1886. 

" " « FEB. 3, 1887. 

CONSTITUTION OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES, 

CONSTITUTION OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA. 

FEDERAL CONSTITUTION OF SWITZERLAND. 

CONSTITUTION OF FRANCE. 

CONSTITUTION OF THE GERMAN EMPIRE. 

CONSTITUTION OF PRUSSIA. 

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS IN VARIOUS 

COUNTRIES. 



Published by the 

Harvard Co-operative Society 

Cambridge, Mass. 

1906. 



Gift 

Publisher 

22 0*08 



^ 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

The Articles of Confederation 1 

The Virginia Plan 10 

The Jersey Plan 13 

Constitution of the United States 16 

Act of Congress, Jan. 19, 1886 32 

" " " Feb. 3, 1887 33 

Constitution of the Confederate States 38 

Constitution of the Dominion of Canada 43 

Federal Constitution of Switzerland 59 

Constitution of France . • 84 

Constitution of the German Empire 93 

Constitution of Prussia 114 

Executive Departments in Various Countries . . . 120 



THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION. 

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union between 
the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, 
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connec- 
ticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Dela- 
ware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South 
Carolina, and Georgia. 

Article 1 . — The style of this Confederacy shall be " The United 
States of America." 

Article 2. — Each State retains its sovereignty, freedom, and inde- 
pendence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not 
by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States in 
Congress assembled. 

Article 3. — The said States hereby severally enter into a firm 
league of friendship with each other, for their common defence, 
the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general wel- 
fare, binding themselves to assist each other against all force 
offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on 
account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense 
whatever. 

Article 4. — The better to secure and perpetuate mutual friend- 
ship and intercourse among the people of the different States in 
this Union, the free inhabitants of each of these States, paupers, 
vagabonds, and fugitives from justice excepted, shall be entitled 
to all privileges and immunities of free citizens in the several 
States ; and the people of each State shall have free ingress and 
egress to and from any other State, and shall enjoy therein all the 
privileges of trade and commerce subject to the same duties, 
impositions, and restrictions as the inhabitants thereof respectively; 
provided that such restrictions shall not extend so far as to pre- 
vent the removal of property imported into any State to any other 
State of which the owner is an inhabitant; provided also, that no 
imposition, duties, or restrictions shall be laid by any State on the 



2 The Articles of Confederation. 

property of the United States or either of them. If any person 
guilty of or charged with, treason, felony, or other high misde- 
meanor in any State shall flee from justice and be found in any of 
the United States, he shall, upon demand of the governor or exec- 
utive power of the State from which he fled, be delivered up and 
removed to the State having jurisdiction of his offense. Full faith 
and credit shall be given in each of these States to the records, 
acts, and judicial proceedings of the courts and magistrates of 
every other State. 

Article 5. — For the more convenient management of the general 
interests of the United States, delegates shall be annually appointed 
in such manner as the Legislature of each State shall direct, to 
meet in Congress on the first Monday in November, in every year, 
with a power reserved to each State to recall its delegates, or any 
of them, at any time within the year, and to send others in their 
stead for the remainder of the year. No State shall be represented 
in Congress by less than two, nor by more then seven members; 
and no person shall be capable of being a delegate for more than 
three years in any term of six years ; nor shall any person, being a 
delegate, be capable of holding any office under the United States 
for which he, or another for his benefit, receives any salary, fees, 
or emolument of any kind. Each State shall maintain its own 
delegates in any meeting of the States and while they act as mem- 
bers of the Committee of the States. In determining questions in 
the United States in Congress assembled, each State shall have 
one vote. Freedom of speech and debate in Congress shall not be 
impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Congress; 
and the members of Congress shall be protected in their persons 
from arrest and imprisonment during the time of their going to 
and from, and attendance on, Congress, except for treason, felony, 
or breach of the peace. 

Article 6. — No State, without the consent of the United States, 
in Congress assembled, shall send any embassy to, or receive any 
embassy from, or enter into any conference, agreement, alliance, 
or treaty with any king, prince, or state; nor shall any person 
holding any office of profit or trust under the United States, or 
any of them, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title of 
any kind whatever from any king, prince, or foreign state ; nor 
shall the United States, in Congress assembled, or any of them, 
grant any title of nobility. 



The Articles of Confederation. 3 

No two or more States shall enter into any treaty, confedera- 
tion, or alliance whatever between them, without the consent of 
the United States, in Congress assembled, specifying accurately 
the purposes for which the same is to be entered into, and how 
long it shall continue. 

No State shall lay any imposts or duties which may interfere 
with any stipulations in treaties entered into by the United States, 
in Congress assembled, with any king, prince, or state, in pur- 
suance of any treaties already proposed by Congress to the courts 
©f France and Spain. 

No vessel of war shall be kept up in time of peace by any State, 
except such number only as shall be deemed necessary by the 
United States, in Congress assembled, for the defense of such 
State or its trade, nor shall any body of forces be kept up by any 
State in time of peace, except such number only as, in the judg- 
ment of the United States, in Congress assembled, shall be deemed 
requisite to garrison the forts necessary for the defense of such 
State ; but every State shall always keep up a well-regulated and 
disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutred, and shall pro- 
vide and constantly have ready for use in public stores a due 
number of field pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, 
ammunition, and camp equipage. 

No State shall engage in any war without the consent of the 
United States, in Congress assembled, unless such State be actually 
invaded by enemies, or shall have received certain advice of a 
resolution being formed by some nation of Indians to invade such 
State, and the danger is so imminent as not to admit of a delay 
till the United States, in Congress assembled, can be consulted ; 
nor shall any State grant commissions to any ships or vessels of 
war, nor letters of marque or reprisal, except it be after a declara- 
tion of war by the United States, in Congress assembled, and then 
only against the kingdom or state, and the subjects thereof, 
against which war has been so declared, and under such regula- 
tions as shall be established by the United States, in Congress 
assembled, unless such State be infested by pirates, in which case 
vessels of war may be fitted out for that occasion, and kept so long 
as the danger shall continue, or until the United States, in 
Congress assembled, shall determine otherwise. 

Article 7. — When land forces are raised by any State for the 
common defense, all officers of or under the rank of Colonel shall 



4 • The Articles of Confederation. 

be appointed by the Legislature of each State respectively by 
whom such forces shall be raised, or in such manner as such State 
shall direct, and all vacancies shall be filled up by the State which 
first made the appointment. 

Article 8. — All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall 
be incurred for the common defense, or general welfare, and 
allowed by the United States, in Congress assembled, shall be 
defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the 
several States in proportion to the value of all land within each 
State, granted to, or surveyed for, any person, as such land and 
the buildings and improvements thereon shall be estimated, accord- 
ing to such mode as the United States, in Congress assembled, 
shall, from time to time, direct and appoint. The taxes for pay- 
ing that proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and 
direction of the Legislatures of the Several States, within the time 
agreed upon by the United States, in Congress assembled. 

Article 9. — The United States, in Congress assembled, shall have 
the sole and exclusive right and power of determining on peace 
and war, except in the cases mentioned in the sixth Article; of 
sending and receiving ambassadors; entering into treaties and 
alliances, provided that no treaty of commerce shall be made, 
whereby the legislative power of the respective States shall be 
restrained from imposing such imposts and duties on foreigners as 
their own people are subjected to, or from prohibiting the expor- 
tation or importation of any species of goods or commodities 
whatever; of establishing rules for deciding, in all cases, what 
captures on land and water shall be legal, and in what manner 
prizes taken by land or naval forces in the service of the United 
States shall be divided or appropriated; of granting letters of 
marque and reprisal in times of peace ; appointing courts for the 
trial of piracies and felonies committed on the high seas ; and 
establishing courts for receiving and determining finally appeals in 
all cases of captures; provided that no member of Congress shall 
be appointed a judge of any of the said courts. 

The United States, in Congress assembled, shall also be the last 
resort on appeal in all disputes and differences now subsisting, or 
that hereafter may arise between two or more States concerning 
boundary, jurisdiction, or any other cause whatever ; which author- 
ity shall always be exercised in the manner following : Whenever 
the legislative or executive authority, or lawful agent of any State 



The Articles of Confederation* 5 

in controversy with another, shall present a petition to Congress, 
stating the matter in question, and praying for a hearing, notice 
thereof shall be given by order of Congress to the legislative 
or executive authority of the other State in controversy, and 
a day assigned for the appearance of the parties by their lawful 
agents, who shall then be directed to appoint, by joint consent, 
commissioners or judges to constitute a court for hearing and 
determining the matter in question ; but if they cannot agree, 
Congress shall name three persons out of each of the United 
States, and from the list of such persons each party shall alter- 
nately strike out one, the petitioners beginning, until the number 
shall be reduced to thirteen ; and from that number not less than 
seven nor more than nine names, as Congress shall direct, shall, in 
the presence of Congress, be drawn out by lot; and the persons 
whose names shall be so drawn, or any five of them, shall be 
commissioners or judges, to hear and finally determine the con- 
troversy, so always as a major part of the judges who shall hear 
the cause shall agree in the determination; and if either party 
shall neglect to attend at the day appointed, without showing 
reasons which Congress shall judge sufficient, or being present, 
shall refuse to strike, the Congress shall proceed to nominate 
three persons out of each State, and the secretary of Congress 
shall strike in behalf of such party absent or refusing; and the 
judgment and sentence of the court, to be appointed in the 
manner before prescribed, shall be final and conclusive ; and if 
any of the parties shall refuse to submit to the authority of such 
court, or to appear or defend their claim or cause, the court shall 
nevertheless proceed to pronounce sentence or judgment, which 
shall in like manner be final and decisive; the judgment or 
sentence and other proceedings being in either case transmitted to 
Congress, and lodged among the acts of Congress for the security 
of the parties concerned ; provided, that every commissioner, 
before he sits in judgment, shall take an oath to be administered 
by one of the judges of the supreme or superior court of the State 
where the cause shall be tried, "well and truly to hear and 
determine the matter in question, according to the best of his 
judgment, without favor, affection, or hope of reward." Pro- 
vided, also, that no State shall be deprived of territory for the 
benefit of the United States. 

All controversies concerning the private right of soil claimed 



b The Articles of Confederation. 

under different grants of two or more States, whose jurisdictions, 
as they may respect such lands, and the States which passed such 
grants are adjusted, the said grants or either of them being at the 
same time claimed to have originated antecedent to such settle- 
ment of jurisdiction, shall, on the petition of either party to the 
Congress of the United States, be finally determined, as near as 
may be, in the same manner as is before prescribed for deciding 
disputes respecting territorial jurisdiction between different States. 

The United States, in Congress assembled, shall also have the 
sole and exclusive right and power of regulating the alloy and 
value of coin struck by their own authority, or by that of the 
respective States ; fixing the standard of weights and measures 
throughout the United States ; regulating the trade and managing 
all affairs with the Indians, not members of any of the States; 
provided that the legislative right of any State, within its own 
limits, be not infringed or violated; establishing and regulating 
post-offices from one State to another, throughout all the United 
States, and exacting such postage on the papers passing through 
the same as may be requisite to defray the expenses of the said 
office; appointing all officers of the land forces in the service of the 
United States, excepting regimental officers; appointing all the 
officers of the naval forces, and commissioning all officers whatever 
in the service of the United States ; making rules for the govern- 
ment and regulation of the said land and naval forces, and direct- 
ing their operations. 

The United States, in Congress assembled, shall have authority 
to appoint a committee, to sit in the recess of Congress, to be 
denominated " A Committee of the States," and to consist of one 
delegate from each State, and to appoint such other committees 
and civil officers as may be necessary for managing the general 
affairs of the United States under their direction ; to appoint one 
of their number to preside ; provided that no person be allowed to 
serve in the office of president more than one year in any term of 
three years ; to ascertain the necessary sums of money to be raised 
for the service of the United States, and to appropriate and apply 
the same for defraying the public expenses ; to borrow money or 
emit bills on the credit of the United States, transmitting every 
half year to the respective States an account of the sums of money 
so borrowed or emitted ; to build and equip a navy ; to agree upon 
the number of land forces, and to make requisitions from each 



The Articles of Confederation. 7 

State for its quota, in proportion to the number of white inhabi- 
tants in such State, which requisition shall be binding ; and there- 
upon the Legislature of each State shall appoint the regimental 
officers, raise the men, and clothe, arm, and equip them in a 
soldier-like manner, at the expense of the United States ; and the 
officers and men so clothed, armed, and equipped shall march to 
the place appointed, and within the time agreed on by the United 
States, in Congress assembled ; but if the United States, in Con- 
gress assembled, shall, on consideration of circumstances, judge 
proper that any State should not raise men, or should raise a 
smaller number than its quota, and that any other State should 
raise a greater number of men than the quota thereof, such extra 
number shall be raised, officered, clothed, armed, and equipped in 
the same manner as the quota of such State, unless the Legislature 
of such State shall judge that such extra number cannot be safely 
spared out of the same, in which case they shall raise, officer, 
clothe, arm, and equip as many of such extra number as they 
judge can be safely spared, and the officers and men so clothed, 
armed and equipped shall march to the place appointed, and 
within the time agreed on by the United States, in Congress 
assembled. 

The United States, in Congress assembled, shall never engage 
in a war, nor grant letters of marque and reprisal in time of peace, 
nor enter into any treaties or alliance, nor coin money, nor reg- 
ulate the value thereof, nor ascertain the sums and expenses 
necessary for the defense and welfare of the United States, or any 
of them, nor emit bills, nor borrow money on the credit of the 
United States, nor appropriate money, nor agree upon the number 
of vessels of war to be built or purchased, or the number of land 
or sea forces to be raised, nor appoint a commander-in-chief of the 
army or navy, unless nine States assent to the same, nor shall a 
question on any other point, except for adjourning from day to 
day, be determined, unless by the votes of a majority of the 
United States, in Congress assembled. 

The Congress of the United States shall have power to adjourn 
to any time within the year, and to any place within the United 
States, so that no period of adjournment be for a longer duration 
than the space of six months, and shall publish the journal of their 
proceedings monthly, except such parts thereof relating to treaties, 
alliances, or military operations as in their judgment require 



8 The Articles of Confederation. 

secresy 5 and the yeas and nays of the delegates of each State, on 
any question, shall be entered on the journal when it is desired by 
any delegate ; and the delegates of a State, or any of them, at his 
or their request, shall be furnished with a transcript of the said 
journal except such parts as are above excepted, to lay before the 
Legislatures of the several States. 

Article 10. — The Committee of the States, or any nine of them, 
shall be authorized to execute, in the recess of Congress, such of 
the powers of Congress as the United States, in Congress assem- 
bled by the consent of nine States, shall, from time to time, think 
expedient to vest them with ; provided that no power be delegated 
to the said Committee, for the exercise of which, by the Articles of 
Confederation, the voice of nine States in the Congress of the 
United States assembled is requisite. 

Article 11. — Canada, acceding to this Confederation, and joining 
in the measures of the United States, shall be admitted into, and 
entitled to all the advantages of this Union ; but no other colony 
shall be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed 
to by nine States. 

Article 12. — -All bills of credit emitted, moneys borrowed, and 
debts contracted by or under the authority of Congress, before the 
assembling of the United States, in pursuance of the present 
Confederation, shall be deemed and considered as a charge against 
the United States, for payment and satisfaction whereof the said 
United States and the public faith are hereby solemnly pledged. 

Article 13. — Every State shall abide by the determinations of 
the United States, in Congress assembled, on all questions which 
by this Confederation are submitted to them. And the Articles 
of this Confederation shall be inviolably observed by every State, 
and the Union shall be perpetual ; nor shall any alteration at any 
time hereafter be made in any of them, unless such alteration be 
agreed to in a Congress of the United States, and be afterwards 
confirmed by the Legislature of every State. 

And whereas it hath pleased the great Governor of the world to 
incline the hearts of the Legislatures we respectively represent in 
Congress to approve of, and to authorize us to ratify, the said 
Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union, know ye, that we, 
the undersigned delegates, by virtue of the power and authority 
to us given for that purpose, do, by these presents, in the name 



The Articles of Confederation. 9 

and in behalf of our respective constituents, fully and entirely 
ratify and confirm each and every of the said Articles of Confed- 
eration and perpetual Union, and all and singular the matters and 
things therein contained. And we do further solemnly plight 
and engage the faith of our respective constituents, that they shall 
abide by the determinations of the United States, in Congress 
assembled, on all questions which by the said Confederation are 
submitted to them ; and that the Articles thereof shall be inviol- 
ably observed by the States we respectively represent, and that 
the Union shall be perpetual. 

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in 
Congress. Done at Philadelphia in the State of Pennsyl- 
vania the ninth day of July in the year of our Lord one 
thousand seven hundred and seventy- eight, and in the 
third year of the independence of America. 



THE VIRGINIA PLAN. 

State op the Resolutions, Submitted to the Consider- 
ation of the House by the Hon. Mr. Randolph, as 
Altered, Amended, and Agreed to, in Committee of 
the Whole House. 

[Paper deposited by President Washington, in the Department of State.] 

1. Resolved, That it is the opinion of this committee that a 
national government ought to be established, consisting of a 
supreme legislative, judiciary, and executive. 

2. Resolved, That the national legislature ought to consist of 
two branches. 

3. Resolved, That the members of the first-branch of the national 
legislature ought to be elected by the people of the several states, 
for the term of three years ; to receive fixed stipends, by which 
they may be compensated for the devotion of their time to public 
service, to be paid out of the national treasury ; to be ineligible 
to any office established by a particular state, or under the author- 
ity of the United States (except those peculiarly belonging to the 
functions of the first branch), during the term of service, and 
under the national government, for the space of one year after 
its expiration. 

4. Resolved, That the members of the second branch of the 
national legislature ought to be chosen by the individual legisla- 
tures ; to be of the age of thirty years, at least ; to hold their 
offices for a term sufficient to insure their independency — namely 
seven years ; to receive fixed stipends, by which they may be com- 
pensated for the devotion of their time to public service, to be 
paid out of the national treasury ; to be ineligible to any office estab- 
lished by a particular state, or under the authority of the United 
States (except those peculiarly belonging to the functions of the 
second branch), during the term of service, and under the national 
government, for the space of one year after its expiration. 



The Virginia Plan, 11 

5. Resolved, That each branch ought to possess the right of 
originating acts. 

6. Resolved, That the national legislature ought to be empow- 
ered to enjoy the legislative rights vested in Congress by the 
Confederation; and, moreover, to legislate in all cases to which 
the separate states are incompetent, or in which the harmony of 
the United States may be interrupted by the exercise of individual 
legislation ; to negative all laws passed by the several states con- 
travening, in the opinion of the national legislature, the articles of 
union, or any treaties subsisting under the authority of the Union. 

7. Resolved, That the right of suffrage in the first branch of the 
national legislature ought not to be according to the rule estab- 
lished in the Articles of Confederation, but according to some 
equitable ratio of representation; namely, in proportion to the 
whole number of white and other free citizens, and inhabitants of 
every age, sex, and condition, including those bound to servitude 
for a term of years, and three fifths of all other persons not com- 
prehended in the foregoing description, except Indians not paying 
taxes, in each state. 

8. Resolved, That the rights of suffrage in the second branch 
of the national legislature ought to be according to the rule 
established for the first. 

9. Resolved, That a national executive be instituted, to consist of 
a single person ; to be chosen by the national legislature, for the 
term of seven years ; with power to carry into execution the 
national laws; to appoint to offices in cases not otherwise pro- 
vided for ; to be ineligible a second time ; and to be removable on 
impeachment and conviction of malpractice, or neglect of duty ; to 
receive a fixed stipend, by which he may be compensated for the 
devotion of his time to public service, to be paid out of the 
national treasury. 

10. Resolved, That the national executive shall have a right to 
negative any legislative act, which shall not be afterwards passed 
unless by two thirds parts of each branch of the national legislature. 

11. Resolved, That a national judiciary be established, to consist 
of one supreme tribunal ; the judges of which to be appointed by 
the second branch of the national legislature ; to hold their offices- 
during good behavior; to receive punctually, at stated times, a 
fixed compensation for their services, in which no increase or 
diminution shall be made, so as to affect the persons actually in 
office at the time of such increase or diminution. 



12 The Virginia Plan. 

12. Resolved, That the national legislature be empowered to 
appoint inferior tribunals. 

13. Resolved, That the jurisdiction of the national judiciary 
shall extend to cases which respect the collection of the national 
revenue, the impeachment of any national officers, and questions 
which involve the national peace and harmony. 

14. Resolved, That provision ought to be made for the admission 
of states lawfully arising within the limits of the United States, 
whether from a voluntary junction of government and territory, 
or otherwise, with the consent of a number of voices in the 
national legislature less than the whole. 

15. Resolved, That provision ought to be made for the con- 
tinuance of Congress and their authorities, until a given day 
after the reform of the articles of union shall be adopted, and 
for the completion of all their engagements. 

16. Resolved, That a republican constitution, and its existing 
laws, ought to be guaranteed to each state by the United States. 

17. Resolved, That provision ought to be made for the amend- 
ment of the articles of union whensoever shall seem necessary. 

18. Resolved, That the legislative, executive, and judiciary pow- 
ers, within the several states, ought to be bound, by oath, to support 
the articles of union. 

19. Resolved, That the amendments which shall be offered to 
the Confederation by the Convention, ought, at a proper time or 
times after the approbation of Congress, to be submitted to an 
assembly, or assemblies of representatives, recommended by the 
several legislatures to be expressly chosen by the people to con- 
sider and decide thereon. 



THE JERSEY PLAN. 

Propositions Offeked to the Convention by the Hon. 
Me. Patterson, June 15, 1787. 

[Paper furnished by General Bloomfield.] 

1. Resolved, That the Articles of Confederation ought to be 
revised, corrected, and enlarged, so as to render the Federal Con- 
stitution adequate to the exigencies of government, and the preser- 
vation of the Union. 

2. Resolved, That, in addition to the powers vested in the 
United States in Congress, by the present existing Articles of 
Confederation, they be authorized to pass acts for raising a reve- 
nue, by levying a duty or duties on all goods and merchandise of 
foreign growth or manufacture, imported into any part of the 
United States; by stamps on paper, vellum, or parchment; and 
by a postage on all letters and packages passing through the 
general post-office — to be applied to such federal purposes as 
they shall deem proper and expedient ; to make rules and regula- 
tions for the collection thereof ; and the same from time to time 
to alter and amend, in such a manner as they shall think proper. 
To pass acts for the regulation of trade and commerce, as well 
with foreign nations as with each other ; provided, that all punish- 
ments, fines, forfeitures, and penalties, to be incurred for contra- 
vening such rules and regulations, shall be adjudged by the com- 
mon-law judiciary of the states in which any offence contrary to 
the true intent and meaning of such rules and regulations shall be 
committed or perpetrated; with liberty of commencing, in the 
first instance, all suits or prosecutions for that purpose in the 
superior common-law judiciary of such state ; subject, neverthe- 
less, to an appeal for the correction of all errors both in law and 
fact, in rendering judgment, to the judiciary of the United States. 

3. Resolved, That, whenever requisitions shall be necessary, in- 
stead of the present rules, the United States in Congress be 
authorized to make such requisitions in proportion to the whole 



14 The Jersey Plan, 

number of white and other free citizens and inhabitants, of every 
age, sex, and condition, including those bound to servitude for a 
term of years, and three fifths of all other persons not compre- 
hended in the foregoing description, except Indians not paying 
taxes ; that, if such requisitions be not complied with in the time 
to be specified therein, to direct the collection thereof in the non- 
complying states; and for that purpose to devise and pass acts 
directing and authorizing the same ; provided, that none of the 
powers hereby vested in the United States in Congress shall be 
exercised without the consent of at least states ; and in that 
proportion, if the number of confederated states should be here- 
after increased or diminished. 

4. Resolved, That the United States in Congress be authorized 
to elect a federal executive to consist of persons, to continue 
in office for the term of years ; to receive punctually, at stated 
times, a fixed compensation for the services by them rendered, in 
which no increase or diminution shall be made, so as to affect the 
persons composing the executive at the time of such increase or 
diminution ; to be paid out of the federal treasury ; to be inca- 
pable of holding any other office or appointment during their time 
of service, and for years thereafter ; to be ineligible a second 
time, and removable on impeachment and conviction for malprac- 
tices or neglect of duty, by Congress, on application by a majority 
of the executive of the several states. That the executive, besides 
a general authority to execute the federal acts, ought to appoint 
all federal officers not otherwise provided for, and to direct all 
military operations ; provided, that none of the persons composing 
the federal executive shall, on any occasion, take command of any 
troops, so as personally to conduct any military enterprise as gen- 
eral, or in any other capacity. 

5. Resolved, That a federal judiciary be established, to consist 
of a supreme tribunal, the judges of which to be appointed by 
the executive, and to hold their offices during good behavior; 
to receive punctually, at stated times, a fixed compensation for 
their services, in which no increase or diminution shall be made, 
so as to affect the persons actually in office at the time of such 
increase or diminution. That the judiciary, so established, shall 
have authority to hear and determine, in the first instance, on all 
impeachments of federal officers; and by way of appeal, dernier 
ressort, in all cases touching the rights and privileges of ambassa- 



The Jersey Plan, 15 

dors; in all cases of captures from an enemy; in all cases of 
piracies and felonies on the high seas ; in all cases in which 
foreigners may be interested, in the construction of any treaty or 
treaties, or which may arise on any act or ordinance of Congress 
for the regulation of trade, or the collection of the federal rev- 
enue. That none of the judiciary officers shall, during the time 
they remain in office, be capable of receiving or holding any 
other office or appointment during their term of service, or for 
thereafter. 

6. Resolved, That the legislative, executive, and judiciary •pow- 
ers, within the several states, ought to be bound, by oath, to 
support the articles of union. 

7. Resolved, That all acts of the United States in Congress 
assembled, made by virtue and in pursuance of the powers hereby 
vested in them, and by the Articles of Confederation, and all 
treaties made and ratified under the authority of the United 
States, shall be the supreme law of the respective states, as far 
as those acts or treaties shall relate to the said states, or their 
citizens; and that the judiciaries of the several states shall be 
bound thereby in their decisions, anything in the respective laws 
of the individual states to the contrary notwithstanding. And 
if any state, or any body of men in any state, shall oppose or 
prevent the carrying into execution such acts or treaties, the 
federal executive shall be authorized to call forth the powers of 
the confederated states, or so much thereof as may be necessary, 
to enforce and compel an obedience to such acts, or an observance 
of such treaties. 

8. Resolved, That provision ought to made for the admission 
of new states into the Union. 

9. Resolved, That provision ought to be made for hearing and 
deciding upon all disputes arising between the United States and 
an individual state, respecting territory. 

10. Resolved, That the rule for naturalization ought to be the 
same in every state. 

11. Resolved, That a citizen of one state, committing an 
offence in another state, shall be deemed guilty of the same 
offence as if it had been committed by a citizen of the state in 
which the offence was committed. 



CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF 

AMERICA. 

We the People of the United States, in order to form a more 
perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, 
provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, 
and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our 
posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the 
United States of America. 

Article I. 

Section 1. — All legislative powers herein granted shall be 
vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist 
of a Senate and House of Representatives. 

Section 2. — The House of Representatives shall be composed 
of members chosen every second year by the people of the 
several States, and the electors in each State shall have the 
qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch 
of the State legislature. 

No person shall be a Representative who shall not have 
attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been seven years 
a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, 
be an inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen. 

Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among 
the several States which may be included within this Union, 
according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined 
by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those 
bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians 
not taxed, three fifths of all other persons. The actual enumer- 
ation shall be made within three years after the first meeting of 
the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent 
term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct. 
The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every 
thirty thousand, but each State shall have at least one Represen- 
tative ; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of 



Constitution of the United States. 17 

New Hampshire shall be entitled to choose three, Massachusetts 
eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantation one, Connecticut 
five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, 
Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, 
South Carolina five, and Georgia three. 

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, 
the executive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to 
fill such vacancies. 

The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and 
other officers ; and shall have the sole power of impeachment. 

Section 3. — The Senate of the United States shall be com- 
posed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the legislature 
thereof, for six years ; and each senator shall have one vote. 

Immediately after they shall be assembled in consequence of 
the first election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into 
three classes. The seats of the Senators of the first class shall 
be vacated at the expiration of the second year, of the second 
class at the expiration of the fourth year, and of the third class 
at the expiration of the sixth year, so that one third may be 
chosen every second year; and if vacancies happen by resigna- 
tion, or otherwise, during the recess of the legislature of any 
State, the executive thereof may make temporary appointments 
until the next meeting of the legislature, which shall then fill 
such vacancies. 

No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to 
the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the 
United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant 
of that State for which he shall be chosen. 

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of 
the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided. 

The Senate shall choose their other officers, and also a President 
pro tempore, in the absence of the Vice-President, or when he 
shall exercise the office of President of the United States. 

The Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. 
When sitting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affir- 
mation. When the President of the United States is tried, the 
Chief Justice shall preside ; and no person shall be convicted with- 
out the concurrence of two thirds of the members present. 

Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further 
than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold and 



18 Constitution of the United States. 

enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United 
States ; but the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and 
subject to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment, according 
to law. 

Sectioji 4. — The times, places, and manner of holding elections 
for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each 
State by the legislature thereof ; but the Congress may at any time 
"by law make or alter such regulations, except as to the places of 
choosing Senators. 

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and 
such meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless 
they shall by law appoint a different day. 

Section 5. — Each house shall be the judge of the elections, 
returns and qualifications of its own members, and a majority of 
each shall constitute a quorum to do business ; but a smaller 
number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to 
compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner, and 
under such penalties as each house may provide. 

Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish 
its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence 
of two thirds, expel a member. 

Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and from 
time to time publish the same, excepting such parts as may in their 
judgment require secrecy ; and the yeas and nays of the members 
of either house on any question shall, at the desire of one fifth of 
those present, be entered on the journal. 

Neither house, during the session of Congress, shall, without 
the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor 
to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be 
sitting. 

Section 6. — The Senators and Representatives shall receive a 
compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and 
paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all 
cases, except treason, felony, and breach of the peace, be privileged 
from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respect- 
ive houses, and in going to and returning from the same ; and for 
any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned 
in any other place. 

No Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which 
he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority 



Constitution of the United States. 19 

of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emolu- 
ments whereof shall have been increased during such time ; and 
no person holding any office under the United States, shall be a 
member of either house during his continuance in office. 

Section 7. — All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the 
House of Representatives ; but the Senate may propose or concur 
with amendments as on other bills. 

Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives 
and the Senate, shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the 
President of the United States ; if he approve he shall sign it, but 
if not he shall return it, with his objections, to that house in which 
it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large on 
their journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such recon- 
sideration two thirds of that house shall agree to pass the bill, it 
shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other House, by 
which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two 
thirds of that house, it shall become a law. But in all such cases 
the votes of both houses shall be determined by yeas and *iays, 
and the names of the persons voting for and against the bill shall 
be entered on the journal of each house respectively. If any bill 
shall not be returned by the President within ten days (Sundays 
excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall 
be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress 
by their adjournment prevent its return, in which case it shall not 
be a law. 

Every order, resolution, or vote to which the concurrence of the 
Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on 
a question of adjournment) shall be presented to the President of 
the United States ; and before the same shall take effect, shall be 
approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be rej^assed by 
two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according 
to the rules and limitations prescribed in the case of a bill. 

Section 8. — The Congress shall have power to lay and collect 
taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide 
for the common defence and general welfare of the United States ; 
but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the 
United States ; 

To borrow money on the credit of the United States ; 

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the 
several states, and with the Indian tribes ; 



20 Constitution of the United States. 

To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws 
on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States ; 

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, 
and fix the standard of weights and measures ; 

To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities 
and current coin of the United States ; 

To establish post-offices and post- roads ; 

To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing 
for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to 
their respective writings and discoveries ; 

To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court ; 

To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the 
high seas, and offences against the law of nations ; 

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make 
rules concerning captures on land and water ; 

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to 
that use shall be for a longer term than two years ; 

To provide and maintain a navy ; 

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land 
and naval forces ; 

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of 
the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions ; 

To provide for organizing, arming, and disclipining the militia, 
and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the 
service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, 
the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the 
militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress ; 

To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsover, over 
such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession 
of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the 
seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like 
authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legisla- 
ture of the State in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, 
magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings ; and 

To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carry- 
ing into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers 
vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United 
States, or in any department or officer thereof. 

Section 9. — The migration or importation of such persons as 
any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shal^ 



Constitution of the United States, 2\ 

not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the year one thousand 
eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on 
such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each person. 

The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be sus- 
pended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public 
safety may require it. 

No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed. 

No capitation, or other direct tax shall be laid, unless in 
proportion to the census or enumeration herein before directed 
to be taken. 

No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any State. 

No preference shall be given by any regulation of commerce or 
revenue to the ports of one State over those of another ; nor shall 
vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or 
pay duties in another. 

No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in conse- 
quence of appropriations made by law ; and a regular statement 
and account of the receipts and expenditures of all public money 
shall be published from time to time. 

No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States ; and 
no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, 
without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolu- 
ment, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, 
or foreign State. 

Section 10. — No State shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or 
Confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money ; 
emit bills of credit ; make any thing but gold and silver coin a 
tender in payment of debts ; pass any bill of attainder, ex post 
facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant 
any title of nobility. 

No State shall, without the consent of the Congress, lay any 
imposts or duties on imports or exports, except what may be 
absolutely necessary for executing its inspection laws ; and the 
net produce of all duties and imposts laid by any State on imports 
or exports, shall be for the use of the Treasury of the United 
States ; and all such laws shall be subject to the revision and con- 
trol of the Congress. 

No State shall, without the consent of Congress, lay any duty of 
tonnage, keep troops, or ships of war in time of peace, enter into 
any agreement or compact with another State, or with a foreign 



22 Constitution of the United States. 

power, or engage in war unless actually invaded, or in such immi- 
nent danger as will not admit of delay. 

Article II. 

Section 1. — The executive power shall be vested in a President 
of the United States of America. He shall hold his office during 
the term of four years, and, together with the Yice- President, 
chosen for the same term, be elected, as follows : — 

Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature 
thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole 
number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may 
be entitled in the Congress; but no Senator or Representative, 
or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United 
States, shall be appointed an elector. 

The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by 
ballot for two persons, of whom one at least shall not be an in- 
habitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make 
a list of all the persons voted for, and of the number of votes. for 
each ; which list they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to 
the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the 
President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in 
the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all 
the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted. The person 
having the greatest number of votes shall be the President, if such 
number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; 
and if there be more than one who have such majority, and have 
an equal number of votes, then the House of Representatives shall 
immediately choose by ballot one of them for President ; and if no 
person have a majority, then from the five highest on the list the 
said House shall in like manner choose the President. But in 
choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the re- 
presentation from each State having one vote ; a quorum for this 
purpose shall consist of a member or members from two thirds of 
the States, and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a 
choice. In every case, after the choice of the President, the per- 
son having the greatest number of votes of the electors shall be 
the Vice-President. But if there should remain two or more who 
have equal votes, the Senate shall choose from them by ballot the 
Vice-President. 



Constitution of the United States. 23 

The Congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, 
and the day on which they shall give their votes ; which day shall 
be the same throughout the United States. 

No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the 
United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, 
shall be eligible to the office of President ; neither shall any person 
be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of 
thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the 
United States. 

In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his 
death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties 
of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice-President, 
and the Congress may by law provide for the case of removal, 
death, resignation, or inability, both of the President and Vice- 
President, declaring what officer shall then act as President, and 
such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, 
or a President shall be elected. 

The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services, a 
compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished, 
during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he 
shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the 
United States, or any of them. 

Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the 
following oath or affirmation : — 

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute 
the office of President of the United States, and will to the best 
of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of 
the United States." 

Section 2. — The President shall be Commander-in-Chief of the 
army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the 
several States, when called into the actual service of the United 
States; he may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal 
officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject 
relating to the duties of their respective offices, and he shall have 
power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the 
United States, except in cases of impeachment. 

He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the 
Senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators 
present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the 
advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, 



24 Constitution of the United States, 

other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, 
and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are 
not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established 
by law ; but the Congress may by law vest the appointment of 
such inferior officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, 
in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments. 

The President shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may 
happen during the recess of the Senate, by granting commissions 
which shall expire at the end of their next session. 

Section 3. — He shall from time to time give to the Congress 
information of the state of the Union, and recommend to their 
consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and 
expedient ; he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both 
houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between 
them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn 
them to such time as he shall think proper ; he shall receive am- 
bassadors and other public ministers ; he shall take care that the 
laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of 
the United States. 

Section 4. — The President, Vice-President, and all civil officers 
of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment 
for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and 
misdemeanors. 

Article III. 

Section 1. — The judicial power of the United States, shall be 
vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the 
Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The 
judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their 
offices during good behavior, and shall, at stated times, receive for 
their services, a compensation, which shall not be diminished 
during their continuance in office. 

Section 2. — The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law 
and equity, arising under this Constitution, the laws of the United 
States, and treaties made, or which shall be made, under their 
authority ; to all cases affecting ambassadors, other public minis- 
ters and consuls ; to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdic- 
tion ; to controversies to which the United States shall be a party ; 
to controversies between two or more States ; between a State 



Constitution of the United States. 25 

and citizens of another State ; between citizens of different States ; 
between citizens of the same State claiming lands under grants of 
different States, and between a State, or the citizens thereof, and 
foreign states, citizens or subjects. 

In all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and 
consuls, and those in which a State shall be party, the Supreme 
Court shall have original jurisdiction. In all the other cases 
before mentioned, the Supreme Court shall have appellate juris- 
diction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions, and under 
such regulations as the Congress shall make. 

The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be 
by jury ; and such trial shall be held in the State where the said 
crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed 
within any State, the trial shall be at such place or places as the 
Congress may by law have directed. 

Section 3. — Treason against the United States shall consist 
only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, 
giving them aid and comfort. IsTo person shall be convicted of 
treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same 
overt act, or on confession in open court. 

The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of 
treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, 
or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted. 

Aeticle IV. 

Section 1. — Full faith and credit shall be given in each State to 
the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other 
State. And the Congress may by general laws prescribe the 
manner in which such acts, records, and proceedings shall be 
proved, and the effect thereof. 

Section 2. — The citizens of each State shall be entitled to all 
privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States. 

A person charged in any State with treason, felony, or other 
crime, who shall flee from justice, and be found in another State, 
shall on demand of the executive authority of the State from 
which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having 
jurisdiction of the crime. 

No person held to service or labor in one State, under the laws 
thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law 



26 Constitution of the United States. 

or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labor, 
but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such 
service or labor may be due. 

Section 3. — New States may be admitted by the Congress into 
this Union ; but no new State shall be formed or erected within 
the jurisdiction of any other State ; nor any State be formed by 
the junction of two or more States, or parts of States, without the 
consent of the legislatures of the States concerned as well as of 
the Congress. 

The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all 
needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other 
property belonging to the United States ; and nothing in this 
Constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of 
the United States, or of any particular State. 

Section 4. — The United States shall guarantee to every State in 
this Union a Republican form of government, and shall protect 
each of them against invasion ; and on application of the legisla- 
ture, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be con- 
vened) against domestic violence. 

Article V. 

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem 
it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, 
on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several 
States, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, 
in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of 
this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths 
of the several States, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, 
as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by 
the Congress ; provided that no amendment which may be made 
prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in 
any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section 
of the first article ; and that no State, without its consent, shall be 
deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate. 

Article VI. 

All debts contracted and engagements entered into, before the 
adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United 
States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation. 



Constitution of the United States. 27 

This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which 
shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or 
which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, 
shall be the supreme law of the land ; and the judges in every 
State shall be bound thereby, any thing in the Constitution or 
laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding. 

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the 
members of the several State legislatures, and all executive and 
judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several 
States, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this 
Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a 
qualification to any office or public trust under the United 
States. 

Article VII. 

The ratification of the conventions of nine States shall be suffi- 
cient for the establishment of this Constitution between the States 
so ratifying the same. 



AMENDMENTS. 

ARTICLES in addition to and amendment of the Constitution 
of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and rati- 
fied by the legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth 
article of the original Constitution. 

Article I. 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of 
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ; or abridging 
the freedom of speech, or of the press ; or the right of the people 
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a 
redress of grievances. 

Article II. 

A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a 
free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall 
not be infringed. 



28 Constitution of the United States. 

Article III. 

No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house 
without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a 
manner to be prescribed by law. 

Article IV. 

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, 
papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, 
shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon prob- 
able cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly 
describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to 
be seized. 

Article V. 

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise 
infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a 
grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, 
or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public 
danger ; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to 
be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb ; nor shall be compelled 
in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be 
deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; 
nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just 
compensation. 

Article VI. 

In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the right 
to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State 
and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which 
district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be 
informed of the nature and cause of the accusation ; to be con- 
fronted with the witnesses against him ; to have compulsory pro- 
cess for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance 
of council for his defence. 



Constitution of the United States. 29 

Article VII. 

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall 
exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, 
and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any 
court of the United States, than according to the rules of the 
common law. 

Article VIII. 

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, 
nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. 

Article IX. 

The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall 
not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the 
people. 

Article X. 

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitu- 
tion, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States 
respectively or to the people. 

Article XI. 

The judicial power of the United States shall not be construed 
to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted 
against one of the United States by citizens of another State, or 
by citizens or subjects of any foreign State. 

Article XII, 

The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by 
ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, 
shall not be an inhabitant of the same State with themselves; 
they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, 



30 Constitution of the United States. 

and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and 
they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, 
and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number 
-of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and 
transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United 
States, directed to the President of the Senate ; the President 
of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of 
Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then 
be counted; the person having the greatest number of votes 
for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority 
of the whole number of electors appointed ; and if no person 
have such majority, then from the persons having the highest 
numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as 
President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately 
by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes 
shall be taken by States, the representation from each State having 
one vote ; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or 
members from two thirds of the States, and a majority of all the 
States shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Repre- 
sentatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of 
choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March 
next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as 
in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the 
President. The person having the greatest number of votes as 
Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a 
majority of the whole number of electors appointed, and if no 
person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on 
the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for 
the purpose shall consist of two thirds of the whole number of 
Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary 
to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office 
of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the 
United States. 

Article XIII. 

Section 1. — Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except 
as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly 
convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place 
subject to their jurisdiction. 

Section 2. — Congress shall have power to enforce this article by 
appropriate legislation. 



Constitution of the United States. 31 



Article XIV. 

Section 1. — All persons born or naturalized in the United 
States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the 
United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State 
shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges 
or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any 
State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due 
process of law ; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction 
the equal protection of the laws. 

Section 2. — Representatives shall be apportioned among the 
several States according to their respective numbers, counting the 
whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not 
taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice 
of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, 
Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers 
of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to 
any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years 
of age and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged 
except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of 
representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which 
the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number 
of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State. 

Section 3. — No person shall be a Senator or Representative in 
Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any 
office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any 
State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of 
Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of 
any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of 
any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall 
have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or 
given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by 
vote of two-thirds of each house, remove such disability. 

Section 4. — The validity of the public debt of the United 
States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment 
of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection 
or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United 
States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation 
incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United 



32 Provision for an Acting President. 

States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; 
but all such debts, obligations, and claims shall be held illegal 
and void. 

Section 5. — The Congress shall have power to enforce, by 
appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. 

Article XV. 

Section 1. — The right of citizens of the United States to vote 
shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by 
any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of 
servitude. 

Section 2. — The Congress shall have power to enforce this 
article by appropriate legislation. 



AN ACT 

To Provide for the Performance of the Duties of the 
Office of President in Case of the Removal, Death, 
Resignation, or Inability both of the President and 
Vice-President. [Passed January 19, 1886.] 

Be it enacted, S?c, That in case of removal, death, resignation, 
or inability of both the President and Vice-President of the 
United States, the Secretary of State, or if there be none, or in 
case of his removal, death, resignation, or inability, then the Secre- 
tary of the Treasury, or if there be none, or in case of his removal, 
death, resignation, or inability, then the Secretary of War, or if 
there be none, or in case of his removal, death, resignation, or 
inability, then the Attorney-General, or if there be none, or in 
case of his removal, death, resignation, or inability, then the 
Postmaster-General, or if there be none, or in case of his removal, 
death, resignation, or inability, then the Secretary of the Navy, or 
if there be none, or in case of his removal, death, resignation or 
inability, then the Secretary of the Interior, shall act as President 
until the disability of the President or Vice-President is removed 
or a President shall be elected : 

Provided, That whenever the powers and duties of the office of 
President of the United States shall devolve upon any of the 



Count of Electoral Votes, 33 

persons named herein, if Congress be not then in session, or if it 
would not meet in accordance with law within twenty days there- 
after, it shall be the duty of the person upon whom said powers 
and duties shall devolve to issue a proclamation convening Congress 
in extraordinary session, giving twenty days' notice of the time of 
meeting. 

Sec. 2. That the preceding section shall only be held to de- 
scribe and apply to such officers as shall have been appointed by 
the advice and consent of the Senate to the offices therein named, 
and such as are eligible to the office of President under the Con- 
stitution, and not under impeachment by the House of Representa- 
tives of the United States at the time the powers and duties of the 
office shall devolve upon them respectively. 

Sec. 3. That sections one hundred and forty-six, one hundred 
and forty- seven, one hundred and forty-eight, one hundred and 
forty-nine, and one hundred and fifty of the Revised Statutes are 
hereby repealed. 



AN ACT 

To Fix the Day for the Meeting of the Electors of 
President and Yice- President, and to Provide for 
and Regulate the Counting of the Yotes for Pres- 
ident and Vice-President, and the Decision of Ques- 
tions Arising Thereon. [Passed February 3, 1887.] 

Be it enacted, fyc, That the electors of each State shall meet and 
give their votes on the second Monday in January next following 
their appointment, at such place in each State as the Legislature 
of such State shall direct. 

Sec. 2. That if any State shall have provided, by laws enacted 
prior to the day fixed for the appointment of the electors, for its 
final determination of any controversy or contest concerning the 
appointment of all or any of the electors of such State, by judicial 
or other methods or procedures, and such determination shall have 
been made at least six days before the time fixed for the meeting 
of the electors, such determination made pursuant to such law so 
existing on said day, and made at least six days prior to the said 
time of meeting of the electors, shall be conclusive, and shall 



34 Count of Electoral Votes. 

govern in the counting of the electoral votes as provided in the 
Constitution, and as hereinafter regulated, so far as the ascertain- 
ment of the electors appointed by such State is concerned. 

* * * * # # 

And if there shall have been any final determination in a State 
of a controversy or contest as provided for in section two of this 
act, it shall be the duty of the executive of such State, as soon as 
practicable after such determination, to communicate, under the 
seal of the State, to the Secretary of State of the United States, a 
certificate of such determination, in form and manner as the same 
shall have been made ; 

And the Secretary of State of the United States, as soon as prac- 
ticable after the receipt at the State Department of each of the 
certificates hereinbefore directed to be transmitted to the Secre- 
tary of State, shall publish, in such public newspaper as he shall 
designate, such certificates in full ; 

And at the first meeting of Congress thereafter he shall trans- 
mit to the two Houses of Congress copies in full of each and every 
such certificate so received theretofore at the State Department. 

Sec. 4. That Congress shall be in session on the second Wednes- 
day in February succeeding every meeting of the electors. 

The Senate and House of Representatives shall meet in the Hall 
of the House of Representatives at the hour of one o'clock in the 
afternoon on that day, and the President of the Senate shall be 
their presiding officer. 

Two tellers shall be previously appointed on the part of the Sen- 
ate and two on the part of the House of Representatives, to whom 
shall be handed, as they are opened by the President of the Sen- 
ate, all the certificates and papers purporting to be certificates of 
the electoral votes, which certificates and papers shall be opened, 
presented, and acted upon in the alphabetical order of the States, 
beginning with the letter A ; and said tellers, having then read the 
same in the presence and hearing of the two Houses, shall make a 
list of the votes as they shall appear from the said certificates ; 

And the votes having been ascertained and counted in the man- 
ner and according to the rules in this act provided, the result of the 
same shall be delivered to the President of the Senate, who shall 
thereupon announce the state of the vote, which announcement 
shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons, if any, 
elected President and Vice-President of the United States, and, 



Count of Electoral Votes. 35 

together with a list of the votes, be entered on the journals of the 
two Houses. 

Upon such reading of any such certificate or paper, the Presi- 
dent of the Senate shall call for objections, if any. Every objec- 
tion shall be made in writing, and shall state clearly and concisely, 
and without argument, the ground thereof, and shall be signed by 
at least one Senator and one Member of the House of Representa- 
tives before the same shall be received. 

When all objections so made to any vote or paper from a State 
shall have been received and read, the Senate shall thereupon 
withdraw, and such objections shall be submitted to the Senate for 
its decision ; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
shall, in like manner, submit such objections to the House of 
Representatives for its decision ; 

And no electoral vote or votes from any State which shall have 
been regularly given by electors whose appointment has been law- 
fully certified to according to section three of this act from which 
but one return has been received shall be rejected, but the two 
Houses concurrently may reject the vote or votes when they agree 
that such vote or votes have not been so regularly given by 
electors whose appointment has been so certified. 

If more than one return or paper purporting to be a return from 
a State shall have been received by the President of the Senate, 
those votes, and those only, shall be counted which shall have 
been regularly given by the electors who are shown by the deter- 
mination mentioned in section two of this act to have been 
appointed, if the determination in said section provided for shall 
have been made, or by such successors or substitutes, in case of a 
vacancy in the board of electors so ascertained, as have been 
appointed to fill such vacancy in the mode provided by the laws 
of the State ; 

But in case there shall arise the question which of two or more 
of such State authorities determining what electors have been 
appointed, as mentioned in section two of this act, is the lawful 
tribunal of such State, the votes regularly given of those electors, 
and those only, of such State shall be counted whose title as elec- 
tors the two Houses, acting separately, shall concurrently decide is 
supported by the decision of such State so authorized by its laws ; 

And in such case of more than one return or paper purporting 
to be a return from a State, if there shall have been no such 



36 Count of Electoral Votes. 

determination of the question in the State aforesaid, then those 
votes, and those only, shall be counted which the two Houses 
shall concurrently decide were cast by lawful electors appointed 
in accordance with the laws of the State, unless the two Houses, 
acting separately, shall concurrently decide such votes not to be 
the lawful votes of the legally appointed electors of such State. 

But if the two Houses shall disagree in respect of the counting 
of such votes, then, and in that case, the votes of the electors 
whose appointment shall have been certified by the Executive of 
the State, under the seal thereof, shall be counted. 

When the two Houses have voted, they shall immediately again 
meet, and the presiding officer shall then announce the decision of 
the questions submitted. 

No votes or papers from any other State shall be acted upon 
until the objections previously made to the votes or papers from 
any State shall have been finally disposed of. 

Sec. 5. That while the two Houses shall be in meeting as pro- 
vided in this act the President of the Senate shall have power to 
preserve order ; and no debate shall be allowed and no question 
shall be put by the presiding officer except to either House on a 
motion to withdraw. 

Sec. 6. That when the two Houses separate to decide upon an 
objection that may have been made to the counting of any elec- 
toral vote or votes from any State, or other question arising in 
the matter, each Senator and Representative may speak to such 
objection or question five minutes, and not more than once ; 

But after such debate shall have lasted two hours it shall be the 
duty of the presiding officer of each House to put the main ques- 
tion without further debate. 

Sec. 7. That at such joint meeting of the two Houses seats 
shall be provided as follows : For the President of the Senate, 
the Speaker's chair ; for the Speaker, immediately upon his left ; 
the Senators, in the body of the Hall upon the right of the presid- ' 
ing officer ; for the Representatives in the body of the Hall not 
provided for the Senators ; for the tellers, Secretary of the Senate, 
and Clerk of the House of Representatives, at the Clerk's desk; 
for the other officers of the two Houses, in front of the Clerk's 
desk and upon each side of the Speaker's platform. 

Such joint meeting shall not be dissolved until the count of 
electoral votes shall be completed and the result declared ; 



Count of Electoral Votes. 37 

And no recess shall be taken unless a question shall have arisen 
in regard to counting any such votes, or otherwise under this act, 
in which case it shall be competent for either House, acting separ- 
ately, in the manner hereinbefore provided, to direct a recess of 
such House not beyond the next calendar day, Sunday excepted, 
at the hour of ten o'clock in the forenoon. 

But if the counting of the electoral votes and the declaration of 
the result shall not have been completed before the fifth calendar 
day next after such first meeting of the two Houses, no further or 
other recess shall be taken by either House. 



CONSTITUTION OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES 

OF AMERICA. 

[The constitution of the Southern Confederacy was, in the main, a literal copy of 
the constitution of the United States. The most significant departures from the 
original are found in the following paragraphs.] 

We, the people of the Confederate States, each State acting in 
its sovereign and independent character, in order to form a per- 
manent federal government, establish justice, insure domestic 
tranquility, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and 
our posterity — invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty 
God — do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Confederate 
States of America. 

Article I. 

Section 2. — The House of Representatives shall be chosen 
every second year by the people of the several States, and the 
electors in each State shall be citizens of the Confederate States, 
and have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most 
numerous branch of the State Legislature ; but no person of 
foreign birth, not a citizen of the Confederate States, shall be 
allowed to vote for any officer, civil or political, State or Federal. 

5. The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and 
other officers; and shall have the sole power of impeachment; 
except that any judicial or other federal officer resident and acting 
solely within the limits of any State may be impeached by a vote 
of two- thirds of both branches of the Legislature thereof. 

Section 6. — 

2. No Senator or Representative shall, {luring the time for 
which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under the 
authority of the Confederate States, which shall have been created, 
or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such 
time ; and no person holding any office under the Confederate 
States shall be a member of either House during his continuance 
in office. But Congress may, by law, grant to the principal officer 



Constitution of the Confederate States. 39 

in each of the Executive Departments a seat upon the floor of 
either House, with the privilege of discussing any measure apper- 
taining to his department. 
Section 7. — 

2. Every bill which shall have passed both Houses shall, before 
it becomes a law, be presented to the President of the Confederate 
States ; if he approve he shall sign it ; but if not, he shall return 
it with his objections to the House in which it shall have origi- 
nated, who shall enter the objections at large on their journal, and 
proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, two- 
thirds of that House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, 
together with the objections, to the other House, by which it shall 
likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of that 
House, it shall become a law. But in all such cases, the votes of 
both Houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names 
of the persons voting for and against the bill shall be entered on 
the journal of each House respectively. If any bill shall not be 
returned by the President within ten days (Sundays excepted) 
after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law, 
in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress, by 
their adjournment, prevent its return ; in which case it shall not 
be a law. The President may approve any appropriation and 
disapprove any other appropriation in the same bill. In such 
case he shall, in signing the bill, designate the appropriations dis- 
approved; and shall return a copy of such appropriations, with 
his objections, to the House in which the bill shall have originated, 
and the same proceedings shall then be had as in case of other 
bills disapproved by the President. 

Section 8. — The Congress shall have power — 

1. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, for 
revenue necessary to pay the debts, provide for the common 
defense, and carry on the Government of the Confederate States ; 
but no bounties shall be granted from the treasury ; nor shall any 
duties or taxes on importations from foreign nations be laid to 
promote or foster any branch of industry ; and all duties, imposts, 
and excises shall be uniform throughout the Confederate States. 

3. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the 
several States, and with the Indian tribes ; but neither this, nor 
any other clause contained in the Constitution shall be construed 
to delegate the power to Congress to appropriate money for 



40 Constitution of the Confederate States. 

any internal improvement intended to facilitate commerce ; except 
for the purpose of furnishing lights, beacons, and buoys, and 
other aids to navigation upon the coast, and the improvement of 
harbors, and the removing of obstructions in river navigation, in 
all which cases, such duties shall be laid on the navigation facili- 
tated thereby, as may be necessary to pay the costs and expenses 
thereof. 

4. To establish uniform laws of naturalization, and uniform 
laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the Confederate 
States, but no law of Congress shall discharge any debt con- 
tracted before the passage of the same. 

7. To establish post-offices and post-routes ; but the expenses 
of the Post-office Department, after the first day of March, in the 
year of our Lord eighteen hundred and sixty-three, shall be paid 
out of its own revenues. 

Section 9. — The importation of negroes of the African race, 
from any foreign country, other than the slave-holding States or 
Territories of the United States of America, is hereby forbidden ; 
and Congress is required to pass such laws as shall effectually 
prevent the same. 

2. Congress shall also have power to prohibit the introduction 
of slaves from any State not a member of, or Territory not belong- 
jig to, this Confederacy. 

4. No bill of attainder, or ex post facto law, or law denying or 
impairing the right of property in negro slaves shall be passed. 

9. Congress shall appropriate no money from the treasury 
except by a vote of two-thirds of both houses, taken by yeas and 
nays, unless it be asked and estimated for by some one of the 
heads of departments, and submitted to Congress by the Presi- 
dent; or for the purpose of paying its own expenses and con- 
tingencies ; or for the payment of claims against the Confederate 
States, the justice of which shall have been judicially declared by 
a tribunal for the investigation of claims against the Government, 
which it is hereby made the duty of Congress to establish. 

10. All bills appropriating money shall specify in federal cur- 
rency the exact amount of each appropriation and the purposes 
for which it is made ; and Congress shall grant no extra compen- 
sation to any public contractor, officer, agent, or servant, after 
such contract shall have been made or such service rendered. 



Constitution of the Confederate States. 4'i 

Article II. 

Section 1. — The executive power shall be vested in a President 
of the Confederate States of America. He and the Yice-President 
shall hold their offices for the term of six years ; but the President 
shall not be re-eligible. * * * * * 

Section 2. — 

3. The principal officer in each of the executive departments, 
and all persons connected with the diplomatic service, may be 
removed from office at the pleasure of the President. All other 
civil officers of the executive department may be removed at any 
time by the President, or other appointing power, when their 
services are unnecessary, or for dishonesty, incapacity, inefficiency, 
misconduct, or neglect of duty; and when so removed, the re- 
moval shall be reported to the Senate, together with the reasons 
therefor. 

4. The President shall have power to fill all vacancies that may 
happen during the recess of the Senate, by granting commissions 
which shall expire at the end of the next session ; but no person 
rejected by the Senate shall be reappointed to the same office 
during their ensuing recess. 

Article IV. 

Section 2. — The citizens of each State shall be entitled to all 
the privileges and immunities of citizens of the several States, and 
shall have the right of transit and sojourn in any State of this 
Confederacy, with their slaves and other property ; and the right 
of property in said slaves shall not be thereby impaired. 

Section 3. — Other States may be admitted into this Confed- 
eracy by a vote of two-thirds of the whole House of Representa- 
tives, and two-thirds of the Senate, the Senate voting by States ; 
but no new State shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction 
of any other State ; nor any State be formed by the junction 
of two or more States, or parts of States, without the consent of 
the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress. 

3. The Confederate States may acquire new territory ; and 
Congress shall have power to legislate and provide governments 
for the inhabitants of all territory belonging to the Confederate 
States, lying without the limits of the several States, and may 
permit them, at such times, and in such manner as it may by law 



42 Constitution of the Confederate States. 

provide, to form States to be admitted into the Confederacy. In 
all such territory, the institution of negro slavery, as it now exists 
in the Confederate States, shall be recognized and protected by 
Congress and by the territorial government ; and the inhabitants 
of the several Confederate States and Territories shall have the 
right to take to such territory any slaves lawfully held by them in 
any of the States or Territories of the Confederate States. 

Article V. 

Section 1.—* Upon the demand of any three States, legally assem- 
bled in their several conventions, the Congress shall summon a 
convention of all the States, to take into consideration such 
amendments to the Constitution as the said States shall concur 
in suggesting at the time when the said demand is made ; and 
should any of the proposed amendments to the Constitution be 
agreed on by the said convention — voting by States — and the 
same be ratified by the legislatures of two-thirds of the several 
States, or by conventions in two-thirds thereof — as the one or the 
other mode of ratification may be proposed by the general con- 
vention — they shall thenceforward form a part of this Constitution. 
But no State shall, without its consent, be deprived of its equal 
representation in the Senate. 

Article VII. 

Section 1. — The ratification of the conventions of five States 
shall be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution 
between the States so ratifying the same. 



CONSTITUTION OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA. 

An Act for the Union of Canada, Nova Scotia, ani> 
New Brunswick, and the Government Thereof ; and 
for Purposes Connected Therewith. [30-31 Victoria,. 
Chap. 3.] i 

[29<A March, 1867.] 

Whereas, The Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New 
Brunswick have expressed their desire to be federally united into 
One Dominion under the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great 
Britain and Ireland, with a Constitution similar in principle to 
that of the United Kingdom : 

And whereas such a Union would conduce to the welfare of the 
Provinces and promote the interests of the British Empire : 

And whereas on the establishment of the Union by authority of 
Parliament it is expedient, not only that the Constitution of the 
Legislative authority in the Dominion be provided for, but also 
that the nature of the executive Government therein be declared: 

And whereas it is expedient that provision be made for the 
eventual admission into the Union of other parts of British North 
America : 

Be it therefore enacted and declared by the Queen's most Ex- 
cellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords 
spiritual and temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament 
assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows : 

I. — Preliminary. 

1. This Act may be cited as the British North America Act, 
1867. 

2. The provisions of this Act refering to Her Majesty the 
Queen extend also to the heirs and successors of Her Majesty, 
Kings and Queens of the United Kingdom of Great Britian and 
Ireland. 

1 All provisions of a merely local or temporary character are omitted. 



44 Constitution of the Dominion of Canada. 



II. — Union. 

3. It shall be lawful for the Queen, by and with the advice of 
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, to declare by 
proclamation that, on and after a day therein appointed, not being 
more than six months after the passing of this Act, the Provinces 
of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick shall form and be 
One Dominion under the name of Canada ; and on and after that 
day those three Provinces shall form and be One Dominion under 
that name accordingly. 

5. Canada shall be divided into four Provinces, named Ontario, 
Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. 

III. — Executive Power. 

9. The Executive Government and authority of and over Canada 
is hereby declared to continue and be vested in the Queen. 

11. There shall be a Council to aid and advise in the Govern- 
ment of Canada, to be styled the Queen's Privy Council for 
Canada ; and the persons who are to be members of that Council 
shall be from time to time chosen and summoned by the Governor 
General and sworn in as Privy Councillors, and members thereof 
may be from time to time removed by the Governor General. 

15. The Command-in-Chief of the land and naval militia, and 
of all naval and military forces, of and in Canada, is hereby 
declared to continue and be vested in the Queen. 

IV. — Legislative Power. 

17. There shall be one Parliament for Canada, consisting of the 
Queen, an Upper House styled the Senate, and the House of 
Commons. 

18. [By an amendment passed in 1875 it is provided that the 
Parliament of Canada may define the privileges of its members at 
any time, by Act, but cannot give them greater privileges than are 
enjoyed at the date of their Act, by the members of the British 
House of Commons.] 

19. The Parliament of Canada shall be called together not later 
than six months after the Union. 



Constitution of the Dominion of Canada, 45 

20. There shall be a session of the Parliament of Canada once 
at least in every year, so that twelve months shall not intervene 
between the last sitting of the Parliament in one session and its 
first sitting in the next session. 

The Senate. 

21. The Senate shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, con- 
sist of seventy-two members, who shall be styled Senators. 

22. In relation to the Constitution of the Senate, Canada shall 
be deemed to consist of three divisions — 

1. Ontario; 

2. Quebec ; 

3. The Maritime Provinces, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick ; 
which three divisions shall (subject to the provisions of this Act) 
be equally represented in the Senate as follows : Ontario by 
twenty-four Senators ; Quebec by twenty-four Senators ; and the 
Maritime Provinces by twenty-four Senators, twelve thereof rep- 
resenting Nova Scotia, and twelve thereof representing New 
Brunswick. 1 * # * * 

23. [A Senator must be thirty years old, a subject of the Queen, 
possessing real property worth $4000.00, a resident in the Province 
for which he is appointed, and in the case of Quebec " he shall have 
his real property qualification in the electoral division for which 
he is appointed, or shall be a resident in that division."] 

24. The Governor General shall from time to time, in the 
Queen's name, by instrument under the great seal of Canada, sum- 
mon qualified persons to the Senate ; and, subject to the pro- 
visions of this Act, every person so summoned shall become and 
be a member of the Senate and a Senator. 

26, If at any time on the recommendation of the Governor 
General the Queen thinks fit to direct that three or six members 
be added to the Senate, the Governor General may by summons 
to three or six qualified persons (as the case may be), representing 
equally the three divisions of Canada, add to the Senate accord- 
ingly- 

27. In case of such addition being at any time made the 
Governor General shall not summon any person to the Senate, 

1 An Act of 1871 empowered the Parliament of Canada to establish new 
Provinces and to provide for their representation. See also infra, 49-50 
Victoria, Chap. 35 (1886). 



46 Constitution of the Dominion of Canada. 

except on a further like direction by the Queen on the like recom- 
mendation, until each of the three divisions of Canada is repre- 
sented by twenty-four Senators and no more. 

28. The number of Senators shall not at any time exceed 
seventy- eight. 

29. A Senator shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, hold 
his place in the Senate for life. 

30. A Senator may by writing under his hand addressed to the 
Governor General resign his place in the Senate, and thereupon 
the same shall be vacant. 

[A Senator loses his seat if for two consecutive sessions he fails 
to attend in the Senate, if he takes steps to become naturalized in 
a foreign country, if he becomes a bankrupt, defaulter, attainted of 
treason, convicted of felony or any infamous crime, or if he ceases 
to be qualified in respect of property or of residence. He is, how- 
ever, permited to reside at the seat of Government while holding 
an office requiring his presence there.] 

32. When a vacancy happens in the Senate by resignation, 
death, or otherwise, the Governor General shall by summons to a 
fit and qualified person fill the vacancy. 

33. If any question arises respecting the qualification o* a Sena- 
tor or a vacaney in the Senate the same shall be heard and 
determined by the Senate. 

34. The Governor General may from time to time, by instru- 
ment under the great seal of Canada, appoint a Senator to be 
Speaker of the Senate, and may remove him and appoint another 
in his stead. 

35. Until the Parliament of Canada otherwise provides, the 
presence of at least fifteen Senators, including the Speaker, shall 
be necessary to constitute a meeting of the Senate for the exercise 
of its powers. 

36. Questions arising in the Senate shall be decided by a 
majority of voices, and the Speaker shall in all cases have a vote, 
and when the voices are equal the decision shall be deemed to be 
in the negative. 

The House of Commons. 

37. The House of Commons shall, subject to the provisions of 
this Act, consist of one hundred and eighty-one members, of whom 



Constitution of the Dominion of Canada. 47 

eighty-two shall be elected for Ontario, sixty-five for Quebec, 
nineteen for Nova Scotia, and fifteen for New Brunswick. 

38. The Governor General shall from time to time, in the 
Queen's name, by instrument under the great seal of Canada, 
summon and call together the House of Commons. 

39. A Senator shall not be capable of being elected or of 
sitting or voting as a member of the House of Commons. 

44. The House of Commons on its first assembling after a gen- 
eral election shall proceed with all practicable speed to elect one of 
its members to be Speaker. 

45. In case of a vacancy happening in the office of Speaker by 
death, resignation, or otherwise, the House of Commons shall with 
all practicable speed proceed to elect another of its members to be 
Speaker. 

48. The presence of at least twenty members of the House of 
Commons shall be necessary to constitute a meeting of the 
House for the exercise of its powers ; and for that purpose the 
Speaker shall be reckoned as a member. 

49. Questions arising in the House of Commons shall be decided 
by a majority of voices other than that of the Speaker, and when 
the voices are equal, but not otherwise, the Speaker shall have a 
vote. 

50. Every House of Commons shall continue for five years 
from the day of the return of the writs for choosing the House 
(subject to be sooner dissolved by the Governor General), and no 
longer. 

51. On the completion of the census in the year one thousand 
eight hundred and seventy-one, and of each subsequent decennial 
census, the representation of the four Provinces shall be readjusted 
by such authority, in such manner, and from such time, as the 
Parliament of Canada from time to time provides, subject and 
according to the following rules : — 

(1.) Quebec shall have the fixed number of sixty-five members : 
(2.) There shall be assigned to each of the other Provinces such 
a number of members as will bear the same proportion to the 
number of its population (ascertained at such census) as the num- 
ber sixty-five bears to the number of the population of Quebec 
(so ascertained) : * * * * * 

52. The number of members of the House of Commons 
may be from time to time increased by the Parliament of Canada, 



48 Constitution of the Dominion of Canada. 

provided the proportionate representation of the Provinces pre- 
scribed by this Act is not thereby disturbed. 

Money Votes ; Royal Assent. 

53. Bills for appropriating any part of the public revenue, or 
for imposing any tax or impost, shall originate in the House of 
Commons. 

54. It shall not be lawful for the House of Commons to adopt 
or pass any vote, resolution, address, or bill for the appropriation 
of any part of the public revenue, or of any tax or impost, to 
any purpose that has not been first recommended to that House 
by message of the Governor General in the session in which such 
vote, resolution, address, or bill is proposed. 

55. Where a bill passed by the Houses of the Parliament is 
presented to the Governor General for the Queen's assent, he shall 
declare, according to his discretion, but subject to the provisions of 
this Act and to her Majesty's instructions, either that he assents 
thereto in the Queen's name, or that he withholds the Queen's as- 
sent, or that he reserves the bill for the signification of the Queen's 
pleasure. 

56. Where the Governor General assents to a bill in the 
Queen's name, he shall by the first convenient opportunity send 
an authentic copy of the Act to one of Her Majesty's principal 
Secretaries of State ; and if the Queen in Council within two years 
after receipt thereof by the Secretary of State thinks fit to disallow 
the Act, such disallowance (with a certificate of the Secretary of 
State of the day on which the Act was received by him) being sig- 
nified by the Governor General, by speech or message to each of 
the Houses of the Parliament or by proclamation, shall annul the 
Act from and after the day of such signification. 

57. A bill reserved for the signification of the Queen's pleas- 
ure shall not have any force unless and until within two years 
from the day on which it was presented to the Governor General 
for the Queen's assent, the Governor General signifies, by speech or 
message to each of the Houses of the Parliament or by proclama- 
tion, that it has received the assent of the Queen in Council. 

An entry of every such speech, message, or proclamation shall 
be made in the journal of each House, and a duplicate thereof duly 
attested shall be delivered to the proper officer to be kept among 
the records of Canada. 



Constitution of the Dominion of Canada. 49 

V. — Provincial Constitutions. 
Executive Power, 

58. For each Province there shall be an officer, styled the 
Lieutenant Governor, appointed by the Governor General in Coun- 
cil by instrument under the great seal of Canada. 

59. A Lieutenant Governor shall hold office during the pleas- 
ure of the Governor General ; but any Lieutenant Governor ap- 
pointed after the commencement of the first session of the Par- 
liament of Canada shall not be removable within five years from 
his appointment, except for cause assigned, which shall be commu- 
nicated to him in writing within one month after the order for his 
removal is made, and shall be communicated by message to the 
Senate and to the House of Commons within one week thereafter 
if the Parliament is then sitting, and if not, within one week after 
the commencement of the next session of the Parliament. 

60. The salaries of the Lieutenant Governors shall be fixed and 
provided by the Parliament of Canada. 

G.— THE FOUR PROVINCES. 

90. The following provisions of this Act respecting the Parlia- 
ment of Canada, namely, — the provisions relating to appropriation 
and tax bills, the recommendation of money votes, the assent to 
bills, the disallowance of acts, and the signification of pleasure on 
bills reserved, — shall extend and apply to the Legislatures of the 
several Provinces as if those provisions were here re-enacted and 
made applicable in terms to the respective Provinces and the Legis- 
latures thereof, with the substitution of the Lieutenant Governor 
of the Province for the Governor General, of the Governor General 
for the Queen and for a Secretary of State, of one year for two 
years, and of the Province for Canada. 

VI. — Distribution of Legislative Powers. 
Powers of the Parliament. 

91. It shall be lawful for the Queen, by and with the advice 
and consent of the Senate and House of Commons, to make laws 
for the peace, order, and good government of Canada, in relation 



50 Constitution of the Dominion of Canada. 

to all matters not coming within the classes of subjects by this Act 
assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the Provinces ; and for 
greater certainty, but not so as to restrict the generality of the 
foregoing terms of this section, it is hereby declared that (notwith- 
standing anything in this Act) the exclusive legislative authority of 
the Parliament of Canada extends to all matters coming within 
the classes of subjects next hereinafter enumerated; that is to 
say,— 

1. The public debt and property. 

2. The regulation of trade and commerce. 

3. The raising of money by any mode or system of taxation. 

4. The borrowing of money on the public credit. 

5. Postal service. 

6. The census and statistics. 

7. Militia, military and naval service, and defence. 

8. The fixing of and providing for the salaries and allowances 
of civil and other officers of the Government of Canada. 

9. Beacons, buoys, light-houses, and Sable Island. 

10. Navigation and shipping. 

11. Quarantine and the establishment and maintenance of 
marine hospitals. 

12. Sea coast and inland fisheries. 

13. Ferries between a Province and any British or foreign 
country or between two Provinces. 

14. Currency and coinage. 

15. Banking, incorporation of banks, and the issue of paper 
money. 

16. Savings banks. 

17. Weights and measures. 

18. Bills of exchange and promissory notes. 

19. Interest. 

20. Legal tender. 

21. Bankruptcy and insolvency. 

22. Patents of invention and discovery. 

23. Copyrights. 

24. Indians, and lands reserved for the Indians. 

25. Naturalization and aliens. 

26. Marriage and divorce. 



Constitution of the Dominion of Canada. 51 

27. The criminal law, except the constitution of courts of 
criminal jurisdiction, but including the procedure in crimi- 
nal matters. 

28. The establishment, maintenance, and management of peni- 
tentiaries. 

29. Such classes of subjects as are expressly excepted in the 
enumeration of the classes of subjects by this Act assigned 
exclusively to the Legislatures of the Provinces. 

And any matter coming within any of the classes of subjects 
enumerated in this section shall not be deemed to come within the 
class of matters of a local or private nature comprised in the en- 
umeration of the classes of subjects by this Act assigned exclusively 
to the Legislatures of the Provinces. 



Exclusive Powers of Provincial Legislatures. 

92. In each Province the Legislature may exclusively make 
laws in relation to matters coming within the classes of subjects 
next hereinafter enumerated, that is to say, — 

1. The amendment from time to time, notwithstanding any- 
thing in this Act, of the constitution of the Province, ex- 
cept as regards the office of Lieutenant Governor. 

2. Direct taxation within the Province in order to the raising 
of a revenue for Provincial purposes. 

3. The borrowing of money on the sole credit of the Pro- 
vince. 

4. The establishment and tenure of Provincial offices and the 
appointment and payment of Provincial officers. 

5. The management and sale of the public lands belonging to 
the Province and of the timber and wood thereon. 

6. The establishment, maintenance, and management of pub- 
lic and reformatory prisons in and for the Province. 

7. The establishment, maintenance, and management of hos- 
pitals, asylums, charities, and eleemosynary institutions in 
and for the Province, other than marine hospitals. 

8. Municipal inststitutions in the Province. 

9. Shop, saloon, tavern, auctioneer, and other licences in or- 
der to the raising of a revenue for Provincial, local, or 
municipal purposes. 



52 Constitution of the Dominion of Canada, 

10. Local works and undertakings other than such as are of the 
following classes, — 

a. Lines of steam or other ships, railways, canals, tele- 
graphs, and other works and undertakings connect- 
ing the Province with any other or others of the 
Provinces, or extending beyond the limits of the 
Province : 

b. Lines of steam ships, between the Province and any 
British or foreign country : 

c. Such works as, although wholly situate within the 
Province, are before or after their execution declared 
by the Parliament of Canada to be for the general ad- 
vantage of Canada or for the advantage of two or 
more of the Provinces. 

11. The incorporation of companies with Provincial objects. 

12. The solemnization of marriage in the Province. 

13. Property and civil rights in the Province. 

14. The administration of justice in the Province, including the 
constitution, maintenance, and organization of Provincial 
courts, both of civil and of criminal jurisdiction, and includ- 
ing procedure in civil matters in those courts. 

15. The imposition of punishment by fine, penalty, or imprison- 
ment for enforcing any law of the Province made in re- 
lation to any matter coming within any of the classes of 
subjects enumerated in this section. 

16. Generally all matters of a merely local or private nature in 
the Province. 

Education. 

93. In and for each Province the Legislature may exclusively 
make laws in relation to education, subject and according to the 
following provisions : — 

(1.) Nothing in any such law shall prejudicially affect any right 
or privilege with respect to denominational schools which 
any class of persons have by law in the Province at the 
Union : 
(2.) All the powers, privileges, and duties at the Union by law 
conferred and imposed in Upper Canada on the separate 
schools and school trustees of the Queen's Roman Catholic 



Constitution of the Dominion of Canada, 53 

subjects shall be and the same are hereby extended to the 
dissentient schools of the Queen's Protestant and Roman 
Catholic subjects in Quebec: 

(3.) Where in any Province a system of separate or dissentient 
schools exist by law at the Union or is thereafter established 
by the Legislature of the Province, an appeal shall lie to the 
Governor General in council from any Act or decision of 
any Provincial authority affecting any right or privilege of 
the Protestant or Roman Catholic minority of the Queen's 
subjects in relation to education : 

(4.) In case any such Provincial law as from time to time seems 
to the Governor General in council requisite for the due 
execution of the provisions of this section is not made, or 
in case any decision of the Governor General in council on 
any appeal under this section is not duly executed by the 
proper Provincial authority in that behalf, then and in 
every such case, and as far only as the circumstances of 
each case require, the Parliament of Canada may make 
remedial laws for the due execution of the provisions of 
this section and of any decision of the Governor General in 
council under this section. 

Uniformity of Laws in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. 

94. Notwithstanding anything in this Act, the Parliament of 
Canada may make provision for the uniformity of all or any of the 
laws relative to property and civil rights in Ontario, Nova Scotia, 
and New Brunswick, and of the procedure of all or any of the 
courts in those three Provinces, and from and after the passing of 
any Act in that behalf the power of the Parliament of Canada to 
make laws in relation to any matter comprised in any such Act 
shall, notwithstanding anything in this Act, be unrestricted ; but 
any Act of the Parliament of Canada making provision for such 
uniformity shall not have effect in any Province unless and until 
it is adopted and enacted as law by the Legislature thereof. 

Agriculture and Immigration. 

95. In each Province the Legislature may make laws in relation 
to agriculture in the Province, and to immigration into the Prov- 



54 Constitution of the Dominion of Canada, 

ince ; and it is hereby declared that the Parliament of Canada may 
from time to time make laws in relation to agriculture in all or any 
of the Provinces ; and any law of the Legislature of a Province re- 
lative to agriculture or to immigration shall have effect in and for 
the Province as long and as far only as it is not repugnant to any 
Act of the Parliament of Cananda. 

VII. — Judicature. 

96. The Governor General shall appoint the Judges of the 
Superior, District, and County Courts in each Province, except 
those of the Courts of Probate in Nova Scotia and New 
Brunswick. 

99. The Judges of the Superior Courts shall hold office during 
good behaviour, but shall be removable by the Governor General 
on address of the Senate and House of Commons. 

100. The salaries, allowances, and pensions of the Judges of 
the Superior, District, and County Courts (except the Courts of 
Probate in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick), and of the Admir- 
alty Courts in cases where the judges thereof are for the time 
being paid by salary, shall be fixed and provided by the Parliament 
of Canada. 

101. The Parliament of Canada may, notwithstanding anything 
in this Act, from time to time, provide for the constitution, main- 
tenance, and orgrnization of a General Court of Appeal for Canada, 
and for the establishment of any additional courts for the better 
adminstration of the laws of Canada. 

VIII. — Revenues; Debts; Assets; Taxation. 

102. All duties and revenues over which the respective Legis- 
latures of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick before and 
at the Union had and have power of appropriation, except such 
portions thereof as are by this Act reserved to the respective Leg- 
islatures of the Provinces, or are raised by them in accordance with 
the special powers conferred on them by this Act, shall form one 
consolidated revenue fund, to be appropriated for the public ser- 
vice of Canada in the manner and subject to the charges in this 
Act provided. 

105. Unless altered by the Parliament of Canada, the salary of 
the Governor General shall be ten thousand pounds sterling money 



Constitution of the Dominion of Canada, 55 

of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, payable out 
of the consolidated revenue fund of Canada, and the same shall 
form the third charge thereon. 

108. The public works and property of each Province, enumer- 
ated in the third schedule to this Act, shall be the property of 
Canada. 1 

111. Canada shall be liable for the debts and liabilities of each 
Province existing at the Union. 

118. The following sums shall be paid yearly by Canada to the 
several Provinces for the support of their Governments and 

Legislatures : — 

Dollars. 
Ontario ------ Eighty thousand. 

Quebec - Seventy thousand. 

Nova Scotia ------ Sixty thousand. 

New Brunswick - Fifty thousand. 



Two hundred and sixty thousand ; 

and an annual grant in aid of each Province shall be made, equal 
to eighty cents per head of the population as ascertained by the 
census of one thousand eight hundred and sixty- one, and in the 
case of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, by each subsequent 
decennial census until the population of each of those two Prov- 
inces amounts to four hundred thousand souls, at which rate such 

i The list is as follows : — 
Provincial Public Works and Property to be the Property of Canada. 

1. Canals, with lands and water power connected therewith. 

2. Public harbors. 

3. Lighthouses and piers, and Sable Island. 

4. Steamboats, dredges, and public vessels. 

5. Rivers and lake improvements. 

6. Railways and railway stocks, mortgages, and other debts due by rail- 
way companies. 

7. Military roads. 

8. Custom houses, post offices, and all other public buildings, except 
such as the Government of Canada may appropriate for the use of 
the Provincial Legislatures and Governments. 

9. Property transferred by the Imperial Government, and known as ord- 
nance property. 

10. Armories, drill sheds, military clothing, and munitions of war, and 
lands set apart for general public purposes. 



56 Constitution of the Dominion of Canada. 

grant shall thereafter remain. Such grants shall be in full settle- 
ment of all future demands on Canada, and shall be paid half- 
yearly in advance to each Province ; but the Government of Canada 
shall deduct from such grants, as against any Province, all sums 
chargeable as interest on the public debt of that Province in ex- 
cess of the several amounts stipulated in this Act. 

133. Either the English or the French language may be used 
by any person in the debates of the Houses of the Parliament of 
Canada and of the Houses of the Legislature of Quebec ; and both 
those languages shall be used in the respective records and jour- 
nals of those Houses ; and either of those languages may be used 
by any person or in any pleading or process in or issuing from any 
court of Canada established under this Act, and in or from all or 
any of the courts of Quebec. 

The Acts of the Parliament of Canada and of the Legislature 
of Quebec shall be printed and published in both those languages. 

XL — Admission of other Colonies. 

146. It shall be lawful for the Queen, by and with the advice 
of Her Majesty's Most Honorable Privy Council, on addresses 
from the Houses of the Parliament of Canada, and from the 
Houses of the respective Legislatures of the Colonies or Provinces 
of Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and British Columbia, 
to admit those Colonies or Provinces, or any of them, into the 
Union, and on addresses from the Houses of the Parliament of 
Canada to admit Rupert's Land and the North-western territory 
or either of them, into the Union, on such terms and conditions in 
each case as are in the addresses expressed and as the Queen 
thinks fit to approve, subject to the Provisions of this Act ; and the 
provisions of any order in Council in that behalf shall have effect, 
as if they had been enacted by the Parliament of the United King- 
dom of Great Britain and Ireland. 

147. In case of the admission of Newfoundland and Prince Ed- 
ward Island, or either of them, each shall be entitled to a repre- 
sentation in the Senate of Canada of four members, and (notwith- 
standing anything in this Act) in case of the admission of New- 
foundland the normal number of Senators shall be seventy-six and 
their maximum number shall be eighty-two ; but Prince Edward 
Island when admitted shall be deemed to be comprised in the third 



Constitution of the Dominion of Canada. 57 

of three divisions into which Canada is, in relation to the consti- 
tution of the Senate, divided by this Act, and accordingly, after 
the admission of Prince Edward Island, whether Newfoundland is 
admitted or not, the representation of Nova Scotia and New 
Brunswick in the Senate shall, as vacancies occur, be reduced from 
twelve to ten members respectively, and the representation of 
each of those Provinces shall not be increased at any time beyond 
ten, except under the provisions of this Act for the appointment 
of three or six additional Senators under the direction of the 
Queen. 1 



AMENDMENT. 

An Act respecting the representation in the Parliament of Canada 
of Territories which for the time being form part of the Do- 
minion of Canada, but are not included in any Province. 

[49-50 Victoria, "Chapter 35, 2bth June, 1886.] 

Whereas it is expedient to empower the Parliament of Canada 
to provide for the representation in the Senate and House of Com- 
mons of Canada, or either of them, of any territory which for the 
time being forms part of the Dominion of Canada, but is not in- 
cluded in any Province : 

Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, 
by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and tem- 
poral, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by 
the authority of the same, as follows : — 

1. The Parliament of Canada may, from time to time, make 
provision for the representation in the Senate and House of Com- 
mons of Canada, or in either of them, of any territories which for 
the time being form part of the Dominion of Canada, but are not 
included in any Province thereof. 

2. Any Act passed by the Parliament of Canada before the 
passing of this Act for the purpose mentioned in this Act shall, if 

1 Note : The five schedules appended to the Act, also most of the subor- 
dinate, temporary and local provisions contained in the Act, are omitted. 



58 Constitution of the Dominion of Canada, 

not disallowed by the Queen, be, and shall be deemed to have 
been, valid and effectual from the date at which it received the as- 
sent, in Her Majesty's name, of the Governor General of Canada. 

It is hereby declared that any Act passed by the Parliament of 
Canada, whether before or after the passing of this Act, for the 
purpose mentioned in this Act or in the British North America 
Act, 1871, 1 has effect, notwithstanding anything in the British 
North America Act, 1867, and the number of Senators or the 
number of members of the House of Commons specified in the 
last- mentioned Act is increased by the number of Senators or of 
members, as the case may be, provided by any such Act of the 
Parliament of Canada for the representation of any provinces or 
territories of Canada. 

3. This Act may be cited as the British North America Act, 
1886. 

This Act and the British North America Act, 1867, and the 
British North America Act, 1871, shall be construed together, and 
may be cited together as the British North America Acts, 1867 to 
1886. 

1 This Act and another passed in 1875, both intended to remove certain 
doubts regarding the powers of the Parliament of Canada, are omitted. 



AU NOM DE DIEU TOUT PUISSANT ! 

LA CONFEDERATION SUISSE, 

Voulant affermir 1' alliance des Conf ederes, maintenir et accroitre 
I'unite, la force et l'honneur de la Nation Suisse, a adopte la Con- 
stitution f ederale suivante : 

CONSTITUTION FEDERALE DE LA CONFEDERATION 

SUISSE. 



Chapitke premier. 
DISPOSITIONS GENERALES. 

Article premier. — Les peuplesdes vingt-deux Cantons souverains 
de la Suisse, unis par la presente alliance, savoir : Zurich, Berne, 
Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden (le Haut et le Bas), Glaris, 
Zoug, Fribourg, Soleure, Bale (Ville et Campagne), Schaffhouse, 
Appenzell (les deux Rhodes), St- Gall, Grisons, Argovie, Thurgovie^ 
Tessin, Vaud, Valais, Neuchatel et Geneve, forment dans leur 
ensemble la Confederation Suisse. 

Article 2. — La Confederation a pour but d'assurer l'indepen- 
dance de la patrie contre l'etranger, de maintenir la tranquillite 
et l'ordre a l'interieur, de proteger la liberte et les droits des. 
Confederes et d'accroitre leur prosperite commune. 

Article 3. — Les Cantons sont souverains en tant que leur souve- 
rainete n'est pas limitee par la Constitution federale, et, comme 
tels, ils exercent tous les droits qui ne sont pas delegues au 
pouvoir federal. 

Article 4. — Tous les Suisses sont egaux devant la loi. II n'y a 
en Suisse ni sujets, ni privileges de lieu, de naissance, de per- 
sonnes on de families. 

Article 5. — La Confederation garantit aux Cantons leur terri- 
toire, leur souverainete dans les limites fixees par l'article 3, 
leurs Constitutions, la liberte et les droits du peuple, les droits 
constitutionnels des citoyens, ainsi que les droits et les attributions- 
que le peuple a conferes aux autorites. 



60 The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 

Article 6. — Les Cantons sont tenus de demander a la Confedera- 
tion la garantie de leurs Constitutions. 
Cette garantie est accordee, pourvu : 

a. Que ces Constitutions ne renferment rien de contraire aux 
dispositions de la Constitution federale ; 

b. Qu'elles assurent l'exercice des droits politiques d'apres des 
formes republicaines, — representatives ou democratiques ; 

c. Qu'elles aient ete acceptees par le peuple et qu'ellas puissent 
etre revisees lorsque la majorite absolue des citoyens le demande. 

Article 7. — Toute alliance particular e et tout traite d'une na- 
ture politique entre Cantons sont interdits. 

En revanche, les Cantons ont le droit de conclure entre eux des 
conventions sur des objets de legislation, d'administration ou de 
justice ; toutefois ils doivent les porter a la connaissance de l'auto- 
rite federale, laquelle si ces conventions renferment quelque chose 
de contraire a la Confederation ou aux droits des autres Cantons, 
est autorisee a en empecher l'execution. Dans le cas contraire, les 
Cantons contractants sont autorises a reclamer pour l'execution la 
cooperation des autorites federales. 

Article 8. — La Confederation a seule le droit de declarer la 
guerre et de conclure la paix, ainsi que de faire avec les Etats 
Strangers des alliances et des traites, notamment des traites de 
p6age (douanes) et de commerce. 

Article 9. — Exceptionnellement, les Cantons conservent le droit 
de conclure avec les Etats etrangers des traites sur des objets 
concernant l'economie publique, les rapports de voisinage et de 
police ; neanmoins ces traites ne doivent rien contenir de contraire 
a la Confederation ou aux droits d' autres Cantons. 

Article 10. — Les rapports officiels entre les Cantons et les 
Oouvernements etrangers ou lours representants ont lieu par l'in- 
termediaire du Conseil federal. 

Toutefois, les Cantons peuvent correspondre directement avec 
les autorites inf erieures et les employes d'un Etat etranger, lorsqu'il 
s'agit des objets mentionnes a 1' article precedent. 

Article 11. — II ne peut etre conclu de capitulations militaires. 

Article 12. — Les membres des autorites federales, les fonc- 
tionnaires civils et militaires de la Confederation, et les repre- 
sentants ou les commissaires federaux ne peuvent recevoir d'un 
Gouvernement etranger ni pensions ou traitements, ni titres, 
presents ou decorations. 



The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 61 

S'ils sont deja en possession cle pensions, de titres ou de decor- 
ations, ils devront renoncer a jouir de leurs pensions et a porter 
leurs titres et leurs decorations pendant la duree de leurs f onctions. 

Toutefois les employes inferieurs peuvent etre autorises par le 
Conseil federal a recevoh* leurs pensions. 

On ne peut, dans l'armee federale, porter ni decoration ni titre 
accordes par un gouvernement etranger. 

II est interdit a tout officier, sous-officier ou soldat d'accepter des 
distinctions de ce genre. 

Article 13. — La Confederation n'a pas le droit d'entretenir des 
troupes permanentes. 

Nul Canton ou demi-Canton ne peut avoir plus de 300 hommes 
de troupes permanentes, sans l'autorisation du pouvoir federal ; la 
gendarmerie n'est pas comprise dans ce nombre. 

Article 14. — Des differends venant a s'elever entre Cantons, 
les Etats s'abstiendront de toute voie de fait et de tout armement. 
Ils se soumettront a la decision qui sera prise sur ces differends 
conformement aux prescriptions federales. 

Article 15. — Dans le cas d'un danger subit provenant du dehors, 
le Gouverment du Canton menace doit requerir le secours des 
Etats confedereres et en aviser immediatement l'autorite federale, 
le tout sans prejudice des dispositions qu'elle pourra prendre. 
Les Cantons requis sont tenus de preter secours. Les frais sont 
supportes par la Confederation. 

Article 16. — En cas de troubles a l'interieur, ou lorsque le danger 
provient d'un autre Canton, le Gouvernement du Canton menace 
doit en aviser immediatement le Conseil federal, afin qu'il puisse 
prendre les mesures necessaires dans les limites de sa competence 
(article 102, chiffres 3, 10 et 11) ou convoquer l'Assemblee federale. 
Lorsqu'il y a urgence, le Gouvernement est autorise, en avertiss- 
ant immediatement le Conseil federal, a requerir le secours d'autres 
Etats confederes, qui sont tenus de le preter. 

Lorsque le Gouvernement est hors d'etat d'invoquer le secours, 
l'autorite federale competente peut intervenir sans requisition ; elle 
est tenue de le faire lorsque les troubles compromettent la surete 
de la Suisse. 

En cas d'intervention, les autorities federales veillent a l'obser- 
vation des dispositions prescrites a Particle 5. 

Les frais sont supportes par le Canton qui a requis l'assistance 



62 The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 

ou occasionne l'intervention, a moins que l'Assemblee federale n'en 
decide autrement, en consideration de circonstances particulieres. 

Article 17. — Dans les cas mentionnes aux deux articles prece- 
dents, chaque Canton est tenu d'accorder libre passage aux troupes. 
Celles-ci seront immediatement placees sous le commandement 
federal. 

Article 18. — Tout Suisse est tenu au service militaire. 

Les militaires qui, par le fait du service federal, perdent la vie ou 
voient leur sante alteree d'une maniere permanente, ont droit a de? 
.secours de la Confederation, pour eux ou pour leur famille, s'il 
.sont dans le besoin. 

Chaque soldat recoit gratuitement ses premiers effets d'arme- 
ment, d'equipement et d'habillement. L'arme reste en mains du 
soldat aux conditions qui seront fixees par la legislation federal. 

La Confederation edictera des prescriptions uniformes sur la 
taxe d'exemption du survice militaire. 

Article 19. — L'armee f ederale est composee: 

a. des corps de troupes des Cantons ; 

b. de tous les Suisses qui, n'appartenant pas a ces corps, sont 
neanmoins astrients au service militaire. 

Le droit de disposer de l'armee, ainsi que du materiel de guerre 
prevu par la loi, appartient a la Confederation. 

En cas de danger, la Confederation a aussi le droit de disposer 
exclusivement et directment des hommes non incorpores dans l'ar- 
mee f ederale et de toutes les autres resources militaires des Cantons. 

Les Cantons disposent des forces militaires de leur territoire 
pour autant que ce droit n'est pas limite par la Constitution ou les 
lois federates. 

Article 20. — Les lois sur 1' organisation de l'armee emanent de 
la Confederation. L'execution des lois militaires dans les Cantons 
j3l lieu par les autorites cantonales, dans les limites qui seront 
^xees par la legislation federale et sous la surveillance de la 
Confederation. 

L'instruction militaire dans son ensemble appartient a la Con- 
federation ; il en est de meme de l'armement. 

La fourniture et l'entretien de l'habillement et de l'equipement 
restent dans la competence cantonale ; toutefois, les depenses qui 
en resultent sont bonifiees aux Cantons par la Confederation, 
-d'apres une regie a etablir par la legislation federale. 






The Federal Constitution of Switzerland, 63 

Article 21. — A moins que des considerations militaires ne s'y op- 
posent, les corps doivent etre formes de troupes d'un merae 
Canton. 

La composition de ces corps de troupes, le soin du maintien de 
leur effectif, la nomination et la promotion des officiers de ces corps 
appartiennent aux Cantons sous reserve des prescriptions general es 
qui leur seront transmises par la Confederation. 

Article 22. — Moyennant une indemnite equitable, la Confeder- 
ation a le droit de se servir ou de devenir proprietaire des places 
d'armes et des batiments ayant une destination militaire qui exis- 
tent dans les Cantons, ainsi que de leurs accessoires. 

Les conditions de l'indemnite seront reglees par la legislation 
federale. 

Article 23. — La Confederation peut ordonner a ses frais ou 
encourager par des subsides les travaux publics qui interessent la 
Suisse ou une partie considerable du pays. 

Dans ce but, elle peut ordonner l'expropriation moyennant une 
juste indemnite. La legislation federale statuera les dispositions 
ulterieures sur cette matiere. 

L'Assemblee federale peut interdire les constructions publiques 
qui porteraient atteinte aux interets militaires de la Confederation. 

Article 24. — La Confederation a le droit de haute surveillance 
sur la police des endiguements et des forets dans les regions 
elevees. 

Elle concourra a la correction et a l'endiguement des torrents, 
ainsi qu'au reboisement des regions ou ils prennent leur source. 
Elle decretera les mesures necessaires pour assurer l'entretien de 
ces ouvrages et la conservation des forets existantes. 

Article 25. — La Confederation a le droit de statuer des dispo- 
sitions legislatives pour regler l'exercice de la peche et de la chasse, 
principalement en vue de la conservation du gros gibier dans les 
montagnes, ainsi que pour proteger les oiseaux utiles a l'argricul- 
ture et a la sylviculture. 

Article 255, (adopted in 1893) : 

II est expressement interdit de seigner les animaux de boucherie 
sans les avoir etourdis prealablement ; cette disposition s' applique 
a toute mode d'abatage et a toute espece de betail. 

Article 26. — La legislation sur la construction et 1' exploitation 
des chemins de fer est du domaine de la Confederation. 

Article 27. — La Confederation a le droit de creer, outre l'Ecole 



64 The Federal Constitution of Switzerland, 

polytechnique existante, une TTniversite federale et d'autres etab- 
lissements d'instruction superieure ou de subventionner des etab- 
lissements de ce genre. 

Les Cantons pourvoient a l'instruction primaire, qui doit etre 
suffisante et placee exclusivement sous la direction de l'autorite 
civile. Elle est obligatoire et, dans les ecoles publiques, gratuite. 

Les ecoles publiques doivent pouvoir etre frequentees par les 
adherents de toutes les confessions, sans qu'ils aient a souffrir 
d'aucune fa9on dans leur liberte de conscience ou de croyance. 

La Confederation prendra les mesures necessaires contre les Can- 
tons qui ne satisferaient pas a ces obligations. 

Article 28 — Ce qui concerne les peages releve de la Confedera- 
tion. Celle-ci peut percevoir des droits d'entree et des droits de 
sortie. 

Article 29. — La perception des peages federaux sera reglee 
conformement aux principes suivants: 

1. Droits sur l'importation : 

a. Les matieres necessaires a l'industrie et a l'agriculture 
du pays seront taxees aussi bas que possible. 

b. II en sera de meme des objets necessaires a la vie. 

c. Les objets de luxe seront soumis aux taxes les plus 
elevees. 

A moins d' obstacles majeurs, ces principes devront aussi etre 
observes lors de la conclusion de traites de commerce avec 
l'etranger. 

2. Les droits sur l'exportation seront aussi moderes que pos- 
sible. 

3. La legislation des peages contiendra des dispositions propres^ 
a assurer le commerce frontiere et sur les marches. 

Les dispositions ci-dessus n'e*mpechent point la Confederation 
de prendre temporairement des mesures exceptionnelles dans les 
circonstances extraordinaires. 

Article 30. — Le produit des peages appartient a la Confedera- 
tion. 

Les indemnites payees jusqu'a present aux Cantons pour le 
rachat des peages, des droits de chaussee et de pontonage 
des droits de douane et d'autres emoluments semblables, sont 
supprimees. 

Les Cantons d'Uri, des Grisons, du Tessin et du Yalais re- 
coivent, par exception et a raison de leurs routes alpestres inter- 



The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 65 

nationales, une indemnite annuelle dont, en tenant compte de 
toutes les circon stances, le chiffre est fixe comme suit: 

Uri fr. 80,000 

Grisons " 200,000 

Tessin " 200,000 

Valais " 50,000 

Les Cantons d'Uri et du Tessin recevront en outre, pour 

le deblaiement des neiges sur la route du St-Gothard, une 

indemnite annuelle totale de fr. 40,000 aussi longtemps que 

cette route ne sera pas remplacee par un chemin de fer. 

Article 31. — La liberte de commerce et d'industrie est 
garantie dans toute l'etendue de la Confederation. 
Sont reserves : 

a. La regale du sel et de la poudre de guerre, les peages 
federaux, les droits d'entree sur les vins et les autres 
boissons spiritueuses, ainsi que les autres droits de 
consommation formellement reconnus par la Confed- 
eration, a teneur de l'article 32. 

b. La fabrication et la vente des boissons distillees, en con- 
formite de Particle 32 b (adopted in 1885). 

c. Tout ce qui concerne les auberges et la commerce au 
detail des boissons spiritueuses, en ce sens que les 
cantons ont le droit de soumettre par voie legisla- 
tive, aux restrictions exigees par le bien-etre public 
l'exercice du metier d'aubergiste et le commerce au 
detail des boissons spiritueuses. (Adopted in 1885.) 

d. Les mesures de polic sanitaire contre les epidemies 
et les epizooties. 

e. Les dispositions touchant l'exercice des professions com- 
merciales et industrielles, les impots qui s'y rattachent 
et la police des routes. 

Ces dispositions ne peuvent rien renfermer de contraire au 
principe de la liberte de commerce et d'industrie. 

Article 32. — Les Cantons sont autorises a percevoir les droits 
d'entree sur les vins et les autres boissons spiritueuses prevus a 
l'article 31, lettre a, toutefois sous les restrictions suivantes: 

a. La perception de ces droits d'entree ne doit nullement 
grever le transit ; elle doit gener le moins possible le 
commerce, qui ne peut etre frappe d'aucune autre taxe. 

b. Si les objets importes pour la consommation sont re- 



66 The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 

exportes du Canton, les droits payes pour 1' entree sont 
restitues sans qu'il en resulte d'autres charges. 

c. Les produits d'origine Suisse seront moins imposes 
que ceux de l'etranger. 

d. Les droits actuels d' entree sur les vins et les autres 
boissons spiritueuses d'origine Suisse ne pouront etre 
hausses par les Cantons ou il en existe. II n'en pourra 
etre etabli sur ces produits par les Cantons qui n'en per- 
coivent pas actuellement. 

e. Les lois et les arretes des Cantons sur la perception des 
droits d'entree sont, avant leur mise a execution, soumis 
a l'approbation de l'autorite federale, afin qu'elle puisse, 
au besoin, faire observer les dispositions qui precedent. 

Tous les droits d'entree percus actuellement par les Cantons, 
ainsi que les droits analogues percus par les communes, doivent 
disparaitre sans indemnite a 1' expiration de l'annee 1890. 

326 (adopted in 1885). La Confederation a le droit de decre- 
ter, par voie legislative, des prescriptions sur la fabrication et la 
vente des boissons distilles. Toutefois, ces prescriptions ne doi- 
vent pas imposer les produits qui sont exportes ou qui ont subi une 
preparation les rendant impropres a servir de boissons. La distil- 
lation du vin, des fruits a noyaux ou a pepins et de leurs dechets, 
des racines de gentaine, des baies de genievres et d'autres matieres 
analogues est exceptee des prescriptions federales concernant la 
fabrication et l'impot. 

Apres 1' abolition des droits d'entree sur les boissons spirituenses 
mentionnees a Particle 32 de la constitution federale, le commerce 
des boissons alcooliques non distillees ne pourra plus etre soumis 
par les cantons a aucun impot special, ni a d'autres restrictions que 
celles qui sont necessaires pour proteger le consommateur contre 
les boissons falsifiees ou nuisibles a la sante. Restent toutefois re- 
serves, en ce qui concerne 1' exploitation des auberges et la vente en 
deta'il de quantites infeurieures a deux litres, les competences at- 
tributes aux cantons par l'article 31. 

Les recettes nettes provenant des droits sur la vente des bois- 
sons distillees restent acquises aux cantons dans lesquels ces droits 
sont percus. 

Les recettes nettes de la Confederation resultant de la distilla- 
tion indigene et de l'elevation correspondante des droits d'entree 
sur les boissons distillees etrangeres seront reparties entre tous les 



The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 67 

cantons proportionellement a leur propulation de fait etablie par 
le recensement federal le plus recent. Les cantons sont tenus 
d'employer au moins 10 % des recettes pour combattre l'alcoolisme 
dans ses causes et dans ses effets. 

Article 33. — Les Cantons peuvent exiger des preuves de ca- 
pacite de ceux qui veulent exercer des professions liberates. 

La legislation federale pourvoit a ce que ces derniers puissent 
obtenir a cet effet des actes de capacite valables dans toute la 
Confederation. 

Article 34. — La Confederation a le droit de statuer des pre- 
scriptions uniformes sur le travail des enfants dans les fabriques, 
sur la duree du travail qui pourra y etre impose aux adultes, ainsi 
que sur la protection a accorder aux ouvriers contre l'exercice des 
industries insalubres et dangereuses. 

Les operations des agences d'emigration et des entreprises d'as- 
surance non institutes par l'Etat sont soumises a la legislation 
federale. 

Article 345 (adopted in 1890). 

La Confederation introduira, par voie legislative, l'assurance en 
cas d'accident et de maladie, en tenant compte des caisses de 
secours existantes. 

Elle peut declarer la participation a ces assurances obligatoire 
en general ou pour certaines categories determinees de citoyens. 

Article 35. — II est interdit d'ouvrir des maisons de jeu. Celles 
qui existent actuellement seront fermeesle31 decembre 1877. 

Les concessions qui auraient ete accordees ou renouvelees de- 
puis le commencement de l'annee 1871 sont declarees nulles. 

La Confederation peut aussi prendre les mesures necessaires 
concernant les loteries. 

Article 36. — Dans toute la Suisse, les postes et les telegraphes 
sont du domaine federal. 

Le produit des postes et des telegraphes appartient a la caisse 
federale. 

Les tarifs seront fixes d'apres les memes principes et aussi equi- 
tablement que possible dans toutes les parties de la Suisse. 

L'inviolabilite du secret des lettres et des telegrammes est 
garantie. 

Article 37. — La Confederation exerce la haute surveillance sur 
les routes et les ponts dont le maintien l'interesse. 

Les sommes dues aux Cantons designes a l'article 30, a raison 



68 The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 

de leurs routes alpestres internationales, seront retenues par 
l'autorite federale si ces routes ne sont pas convenablement entre- 
tenues par eux. 

Article 38. — La Confederation exerce tous les droits compris 
dans la regale des monnaies. 

Elle a seule le droit de battre monnaie. 

Elle fixe le systeme monetaire et peut edicter, s'il y a lieu, des 
prescriptions sur la tarification de monnaies etrangeres. 

(Article 39. — La Confederation a le droit de decreter par voie 
legislative des prescriptions generates sur 1' emission et le rem- 
boursement des billets de banque. 

Elle ne peut cependant creer aucun monopole pour l'emission 
des billets de banque, ni decreter l'acceptation obligatoire de 
ces billets.) 1 

Article 39a. — Le droit d'emettre des billets de banque et toute 
autre monnaie fiduciaire appartient exclusivement a la Confeder- 
ation. 

La Confederation peut exercer le monopole des billets de ban- 
que au moyen d'une banque d'etat placee sous une administration 
speciale, ou en conceder l'exercice, sous reserve du droit de rachat, 
a une banque centrale par actions a creer qui serait administree 
avec le concours et sous le controle de la Confederation. 

La banque investie du monopole aura pour tache principale de 
servir en Suisse de regulateur du marche de 1' argent et de faciliter 
les operations de paiement. 

Le benefice net de la banque, deduction faite d'un interet ou 
d'un dividende equitable a servir au capital de dotation ou aux 
capital-actions et apres prelevement des versements a operer au 
fonds de reserve, revient au moins pour les deux tiers aux cantons. 

La banque et ses succursales seront exemptes de tout impot dans 
les cantons. 

L'acceptation obligatoire des billets de banque et de toute autre 
monnaie fiduciaire ne pourra etre decretee par la Confederation 
qu'en cas de necessite en temps de guerre. 

La legislation federale edictera les disposition relatives au siege 
de la banque, a ses bases, a son organisation et a l'execution de cet 
article en general. 1 

Article 40. — La Confederation determine le systeme des poids 
et mesures. 

1 Article 39a was substituted for the original Article 39, in the year 1891. 



The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 69 

Les Cantons executent, sous la surveillance de la Confed- 
eration, les lois concernant cette matiere. 

Article 41. — La fabrication et la vente de la poudre de 
guerre dans toute la Suisse appartiennent exclusivement a la 
Confederation. 

Les compositions minieres impropres au tir ne sont point com- 
prises dans la regale des poudres. 

Article 42. — Les depenses de la Confederation sont couvertes : 

a. Par le produit de la fortune federale ; 

b. Par le produit des peages federaux percus a la frontiere 
Suisse ; 

c. Par le produit des postes et des telegraphes ; 

d. Par le produit de la regale des poudres ; 

e. Par la moitie du produit brut de la taxe sur les exemptions 
militaires percue par les Cantons ; 

f. Par les contributions des Cantons, que reglera la legisla- 
tion federale, en tenant compte surtout de leur richesse et 
de leurs ressources imposables. 

Article 43. — Tout citoyen d'un Canton est citoyen Suisse. 

II peut, a ce titre, prendre part, au lieu de son domicile, a 
toutes les elections et rotations en matiere federale, apres avoir 
dument Justine de sa qualite d'electeur. 

Nul ne peut exercer des droits politiques dans plus d'un Canton. 

Le Suisse etabli jouit, au lieu de son domicile, de tous les droits 
des citoyens du Cantons et, avec ceux-ci, de tous les droits des 
bourgeois de la commune. La participation aux biens des bour- 
geoisies et des corporations et le droit de vote dans les affaires 
purement bourgeoisiales sont exceptes de ces droits, a moins que 
la legislation cantonale n'en decide autrement. 

En matiere cantonale et communale il devient electeur apres un 
etablissement de trois mois. 

Les lois cantonales sur l'etablissement et sur les droits elector- 
aux que possedent en matiere communale les citoyens etablis 
sont soumises a la sanction du Conseil federal. 

Article 44. — Aucun Canton ne peut renvoyer de son territoire 
un de ses ressortissants, ni le priver du droit d'origine ou de cite. 

La legislation federale determinera les conditions auxquelles les 
etrangers peuvent etre naturalises, ainsi que celles auxquelles un 
Suisse peut renoncer a sa nationalite pour obtenir la naturalisation 
dans un pays etranger. 



70 The Federal Constitution of Switzerland, 

Article 45. — Tout citoyen Suisse a le droit de s'etablir sur un 
point quelconque du territoire Suisse, moyennant la production 
d'un acte d' origin e ou d'une autre piece analogue. 

Exceptionnellement, l'etablissement peut etre refuse ou retire a 
ceux qui, par suite d'un jugement penal, ne jouissent pas de leurs 
droits civiques. 

L'etablissement peut etre de plus retire a ceux qui ont ete a reite- 
rees f ois punis pour des delits graves, comme aussi a ceux qui tom- 
bent d'une maniere permanente a la charge de la bienfaisance 
publique et auxquels leur commune, soit leur Canton d'origine, 
refuse une assistance suffisante apres avoir ete invitee officielle- 
ment a l'accorder. 

Dans les Cantons ou existe 1' assistance au domicile, l'autorisation 
de s'etablir peut etre subordonnee, s'il s'agit de ressortissants du 
Canton, a la condition qu'ils soient en etat de travailler et qu'ils 
ne soient pas tombes, a leur ancien domicile dans le Canton d'ori- 
gine, d'une maniere permanente a la charge de la bienfaisance 
publique. 

Tout renvoi pour cause d'indigence doit etre ratine par le Gouv- 
ernement du Canton du domicile et communique prealablement au 
Gouvernement du Canton d'origine. 

Le Canton dans lequel un Suisse etablit son domicile ne peut 
exiger de lui un cautionnement, ni lui imposer aucune charge 
particuliere pour cet etablissement. De meme, les communes 
ne peuvent imposer aux Suisses domicilies sur leur territoire 
d'autres contributions que celles qu'elles imposent a leurs propres 
ressortissants. 

Une loi federale fixera le maximum de 1' emolument de chancel- 
lerie a payer pour obtenir un permis d' etablissement. 

Article 46. — Les personnes etablies en Suisse sont soumises, 
dans la regie, a la juridiction et a la legislation du lieu de leur 
domicile en ce qui concerne les rapports de droit civil. 

La legislation federale statuera les dispositions necessaires en 
vue de l'application de ce principe, et pour empecher qu'un citoyen 
ne soit impose a double. 

Article 47. — Une loi federale determinera la difference entre 
l'etablissement et le sejour et fixera en meme temps les regies aux- 
quelles seront soumis les Suisses en sejour quant a leurs droits 
politiques et a leurs droits civil s. 

Article 48. — Une loi federale statuera les dispositions necessaires 



The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 71 

pour regler ce qui concerne les frais de maladie et de sepulture des 
ressortissants pauvres d'un Canton tombes malades ou decedes 
dans un autre Canton. 

Article 49. — La liberte de conscience et de croyance est 
inviolable. 

Nul ne peut etre contraint de faire partie d'une association re- 
ligieuse, de suivre un enseignement religieux, d'accomplir un acte 
religieux, ni encourir des peines, de quelque nature qu'elles soient, 
pour cause d'opinion religieuse. 

La personne qui exerce l'autorite paternelle ou tutelaire a le 
droit de disposer, conformement aux principes ci-dessus, de l'edu- 
cation religieuse des enfants jusqu'a l'age de 16 ans revolus. 

L'exercice des droits civils ou politiques ne peut etre restreint 
par des prescriptions ou des conditions de nature ecclesiastique ou 
religieuse, quelles qu'elles soient. 

Nul ne peut, pour cause d'opinion religieuse, s'affranchir de l'ac- 
complissement d'un devoir civique. 

Nul n'est tenu de payer des impots dont le produit est speciale- 
ment affecte aux frais proprement dits du culte d'une communaute 
religieuse a laquelle il n'appartient pas. L'execution ulterieure de 
ce principe reste reservee a la legislation federale. 

Article 50. — Le libre exercice des cultes est garanti dans les 
limites compatibles avec l'ordre public et les bonnes mceurs. 

Les Cantons et la Confederation peuvent prendre les mesures 
necessaires pour le maintien de l'ordre public et de la paix entre les 
membres des diverses communautes religieuses, ainsi que contre 
les empietements des autorites ecclesiastiques sur les droits des 
citoyens et de l'Etat. 

Les contestations de droit public ou de droit prive auxquelles 
donne lieu la creation de communautes religieuses ou une scission 
de communautes religieuses existantes, peuvent etre portees par 
voie de recours devant les autorites federales competentes. 

II ne peut etre erige d'eveches sui* le territoire Suisse sans Tap- 
probation de la Confederation. 

Article 51. — L'ordre des Jesuites et les societes qui lui sont 
affiliees ne peuvent etre recus dans aucune partie de la Suisse, et 
toute action dans l'Eglise et dans l'Ecole est interdite a leurs 
membres. 

Cette interdiction peut s'etendre aussi, par voie d^arrete federal, 



72 The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 

a d'autres ordres religieux dont Paction est dangereuse pour l'Etat 
ou trouble la paix entre les confessions. 

Article 52. — II est interdit de fonder de nouveaux couvents ou 
ordres religieux et de retablir ceux qui ont ete supprimes. 

Article 53. — L'etat civil et la tenue des registres qui s'y rap- 
portent est du ressort des autorites civiles. La legislation federale 
statuera a ce sujet les dispositions ulterieures. 

Le droit de disposer des lieux de sepulture appartient a l'autor- 
ite civile. Elle doit pourvoir a ce que toute personne decedee 
puisse etre enterree decemment. 

Article 54. — Le droit au mariage est place sous la protection de 
la Confederation. 

Aucun empechement au mariage ne peut etre fonde sur des 
motifs confessionnels, sur l'indigence de l'un ou de l'autre des 
epoux, sur leur conduite ou sur quelque autre motif de police que 
ce soit. 

Sera reconnu comme valable dans toute la Confederation le 
mariage conclu dans un Canton ou a l'etranger, conformement a 
la legislation qui y est en vigeur. 

La femme acquiert par le mariage le droit de cite et de bour- 
geoisie de son mari. 

Les enfants nes avant le mariage sont legitimes par le mariage 
subsequent de leurs parents. 

II ne peut etre percu aucune finance d'admission ni aucune taxe 
semblable de l'un ou de l'autre epoux. 

Article 55. — La liberte de la presse est garantie. 

Toutef ois les lois cantonales statuent les mesures necessaires a la 
repression des abus; ces lois sont soumises a l'approbation du 
Conseil federal. 

La Confederation peut aussi statuer des peines pour reprimer les 
abus diriges contre elle ou ses autorites. 

Article 56. — Les citoyens ont le droit de former des associations, 
pourvu qu'il n'y ait dans le but de ces associations ou dans les 
moyens qu'elles emploient rien d'illicite ou de dangereux pour 
l'Etat. Les lois cantonales statuent les mesures necessaires a la 
repression des abus. 

Article 57. — Le droit de petition est garanti. 

Article 58. — Nul ne peut etre distrait de son juge nature!. En 
consequence, il ne pourra etre etabli de tribunaux extraordinaires. 

La juridiction ecclesiastique est abolie. 



The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 73 

Article 59. — Pour reclamations personnelles, le debiteur solvable 
ayant domicile en Suisse doit etre recherche devant le juge de son 
domicile ; ses biens ne peuvent en consequene etre saisis ou se- 
questres hors du Canton ou il est domicilii, en vertu de reclama- 
tions personnelles. 

. Demeurent reservees, en ce qui concerne les etrangers, les 
dispositions des traites internationaux. 

La contrainte par corps est abolie. 

Article 60. — Tous les Cantons sont obliges de traiter les citoyens 
des autres Etats confederes comme ceux de leur Etat en matiere 
de legislation et pour tout ce qui concerne les voies juridiques. 

Article 61. — Les jugements civils definitifs rendus dans un 
Canton sont executoires dans toute la Suisse. 

Article 62. — La traite foraine est abolie dans Pinterieur de la 
Suisse, ainsi que le droit de retrait des citoyens d'un Canton contre 
ceux d'autres Etats confederes. 

Article 63. — La traite foraine a l'egard des pays etrangers est 
abolie sous reserve de reciprocite. 

Article 64.— La legislation 
sur la capacite civile, 

sur toutes les matieres du droit se rapportant au commerce et 
aux transactions mobilieres (droit des obligations, y compris 
le droit commercial etle droit de change), 
sur la propriete litteraire et artistique, 
sur la poursuite pour dettes et la faillite, 
est du resort de la Confederation. 

L'administration de la justice reste aux Cantons, sous reserve des 
attributions du Tribunal federal. 

Article 65. — II ne pourra etre prononce de condamnation a 
mort pour cause de delit politique. 

Les peines corporelles sont interdites. 

Article 66. — La legislation federale fixe les limites dans les- 
quelles un citoyen Suisse peut etre prive de ses droits politiques. 

Article 67. — La legislation federale statue sur 1' extradition des 
accuses d'un Canton a l'autre ; toutefois 1' extradition ne peut etre 
rendue obligatoire pour les delits politiques et ceux de la presse. 

Article 68. — Les mesures a prendre pour incorporer les gens 
sans patrie (Heimatlosen) et pour empecher de nouveaux cas de ce 
genre, sont reglees par la loi federale. 



74 The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 

Article 69. — La legislation concernant les mesures de police 
sanitaire contre les epidemies et les epizooties qui offrent un 
danger general, est du domaine de la Confederation. 

Article 70. — La Confederation a le droit de renvoyer de son 
territoire les etrangers qui compromettent la surete interieure on 
exterieure de la Suisse. 



Chapitre II. 
AUTORITES FEDERALES. 

I. ASSEMBLEE FEDERALE. 

Article 71. — Sous reserve des droits du peuple et des Cantons 
(articles 89 et 121), l'autorite supreme de la Confederation est 
exercee par l'Assemblee federale, qui se compose de deux Sections 
ou Conseils, savoir : 

A. le Conseil national; 

B. le Conseil des Etats. 

A. Conseil national. 

Article 72. — Le Conseil national se compose des deputes du 
peuple Suisse, elus a raison d'un membre par 20,000 ames de la 
population totale. Les fractions en sus de 10 mille ames sont 
comptees pour 20 mille. 

Chaque Canton et, dans les Cantons partages, chaque demi- 
Canton elit un depute au moins. 

Article 73. — Les elections pour le Conseil national sont directes. 
Elles ont lieu dans des colleges electoraux federaux, qui ne peu- 
vent toutefois etre formes de parties de differents Cantons. 

Article 74. — A droit de prendre part aux elections et aux vota- 
tions tout Suisse age de vingt ans revolus et qui n'est du reste 
point exclu du droit de citoyen actif par la legislation du Canton 
dans lequel il a son domicile. 

Toutefois, la legislation federale pourra regler d'une maniere 
uniforme l'exercice de ce droit. 

Article 75. — Est eligible comme membre du Conseil national 
tout citoyen Suisse laique et ayant droit de voter. 



The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 75- 

Article 76. — Le Conseil national est elu pour trois ans et re- 
nouvele integralement chaque fois. 

Article 77. — Les deputes au Conseil des Etats, les membres du. 
Conseil federal et les fonctionnaires nommes par ce Conseil ne 
peuvent etre simultanement membres du Conseil national. 

Article 78. — Le Conseil national choisit dans son sein, pour 
chaque session ordinaire ou extraordinaire, un President et un 
vice-President. 

Le membre qui a ete President pendant une session ordinaire- 
ne peut, a la session ordinaire suivante, revetir cette charge ni 
celle de vice-President. 

Le meme membre ne peut etre vice-President pendant deux ses- 
sions ordinaires consecutives. 

Lorsque les avis sont egalement partages, le President decide ;. 
dans les elections, il vote comme les autres membres. 

Article 79. — Les membres du Conseil national sont indemnises 
par la Caisse federale. 

B. Conseil des Etats. 

Article 80. — Le Conseil das Etats se compose de quarante- 
quatre deputes des Cantons. Chaque Canton nomme deux 
deputes ; dans les Cantons partages, chaque demi-Etat en elit un_ 

Article 81. — Les membres du Conseil national et ceux du Con- 
seil federal ne peuvent etre deputes au Conseil des Etats. 

Article 82. — Le Conseil des Etats choisit dans son sein, pour 
chaque session ordinaire ou extraordinaire, un President et un 
vice-President. 

Le President ni le vice-President ne peuvent etre elus parmi les 
deputes du Canton dans lequel a ete choisi le President pour la 
session ordinaire qui a immediatement precede. 

Les deputes du meme Canton ne peuvent revetir la charge de 
vice-President pendant deux sessions ordinaires consecutives. 

Lorsque les avis sont egalement partages, le President decide ; 
dans les elections, il vote comme les autres membres. 

Article 83. — Les deputes au Conseil des Etats sont indemnises 
par les Cantons. 

C. Attributions de VAssemblee federale. 

Article 84. — Le Conseil national et le Conseil des Etats deliber- 
ent sur tous les objets que la presente Constitution place dans le 



76 The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 

ressort de la Confederation et qui ne sont pas attribues a une autre 
autorite federale. 

Article 85. — Les affaires de la competence des deux Conseils 
sont notamment les suivantes : 

1. Les lois sur 1' organisation et le mode d'election des autor- 
ites federales ; 

2. Les lois et arretes sur les matieres que la Constitution place 
dans la competence federale ; 

3. Le traitement et les indemnites des membres des autorites 
de la Confederation et de la Chancellerie federale ; la creation de 
fonctions f ederales permanentes et la fixation des traitements ; 

4. L'election du Conseil federal, du Tribunal federal et du 
Chancelier, ainsi que du General en chef de l'armee federale ; 

La legislation federale pourra attribuer a l'Assemblee federale 
d'autres droits d'election ou de confirmation ; 

5. Les alliances et les traites avec les Etats etrangers, ainsi que 
l'approbation des traites des Cantons entre eux ou avec les Etats 
etrangers ; toutefois les traites des Cantons ne sont portes a l'As- 
semblee federale que lorsque le Conseil federal ou un autre Canton 
eleve des reclamations ; 

6. Les mesures pour la surete exterieure ainsi que pour le 
maintien de l'independance et de la neutralite de la Suisse ; les 
declarations de guerre et la conclusion de la paix ; 

7. La garantie des Constitutions et du territoire des Cantons ; 
1'intervention par suite de cette garantie ; les mesures pour la surete 
interieure de la Suisse, pour le maintien de la tranquillite et de 
l'ordre ; l'amnistie et le droit de grace ; 

8. Les mesures pour faire respecter la Constitution federale et 
assurer la garantie des Constitutions cantonales, ainsi que celles qui 
ont pour but d'obtenir l'accomplissement des devoirs federaux ; 

9. Le droit de disposer de l'armee federale ; 

10. L'etablissement du budget annuel, l'approbation des comptes 
de l'Etat et les arretes autorisant des emprunts : 

11. La haute surveillance de l'administration et de la justice 
federales ; 

12. Les reclamations contre les decisions du Conseil federal 
relatives a des contestations administratives (art. 113) ; 

13. Les conflits de competence entre autorites federales ; 

14. La revision de la Constitution federale. 



The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 77 

Article 86. — Les deux Conseils s'assemblent, chaque annee une 
fois, en session ordinaire, le jour fixe par le reglement. 

lis sont extraordinairement convoques par le Conseil federal, ou 
sur la demande du quart des membres du Conseil national ou sur 
celle de cinq Cantons. 

Article 87. — Un Conseil ne peut deliberer qu'autant que les 
deputes presents forment la majorite absolue du nombre total de 
ses membres. 

^Article 88. — Dans le Conseil national et dans le Conseil des 
Etats les deliberations sont prises a la majorite absolue des votants. 

Article 89. — Les lois federales, les decrets et les arretes federaux 
ne peuvent etre rendus qu'avec l'accord des deux Conseils. 

Les lois federales, sont soumises a l'adoption ou au rejet du 
peuple, si la demande en est faite par 30,000 citoyens actifs ou par 
huit Cantons. II en est de rneme des arretes federaux qui sont 
d'une portee generale et qui n'ont pas un caractere d'urgence. 

Article 90. — La legislation federale determinera les formes et 
les delais a observer pour les votations populaires. 

Article 91. — Les membres des deux Conseils votent sans in- 
structions. 

Article 92. — Chaque Conseil delibere separement. Toutefois, 
lorsqu'il s'agit des elections mentionnees a l'article 85, chiffre 4, 
d'exercer le droit de grace ou de prononcer sur un conflit de com- 
petence (article 85, chiffre 13), les deux Conseils se reunissent pour 
deliberer en commun sous la direction du President du Conseil 
national, et c'est la majorite des membres votants des deux Con- 
seils qui decide. 

Article 93. — L'initiative appartient a chacun des deux Conseils 
et a chacun de leurs membres. 

Les Cantons peuvent exercer le meme droit par correspondance. 

Article 94. — Dans la regie, les seances des Conseils sont 
publiques. 

II. Conseil Federal. 

Article 95. — L'autorite directorial et executive superieure de la 
Confederation est exercee par un Conseil federal compose de sept 
membres. 

Article 96. — Les membres du Conseil federal sont nommes pour 
trois ans, par les Conseils reunis, et choisis parmi tous les citoyens 



78 The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 

suisses eligibles au Conseil national. On ne pourra toutefois choi- 
sir plus d'un membre du Conseil federal dans le meme Canton. 

Le Conseil federal est renouvele integralement apres chaque re- 
mouvellement du Conseil national. 

Les membres qui font vacance dans l'intervalle des trois ans sont 
remplaces, a la premiere session de l'Assemblee federale, pour le 
reste de la duree de leurs fonctions. 

Article 97. — Les membres du Conseil federal ne peuvent, pen- 
dant la duree de leurs fonctions, revetir aucun autre emploi, soit au 
service de la Confederation, soit dans un Canton, ni suivre d' autre 
carriere ou exercer de profession. 

Article 98. — Le Conseil federal est preside par le President de 
la Confederation. II a un vice-President. 

Le President de la Confederation et le vice-President du Con- 
seil federal sont nommes pour une annee, par l'Assemblee federale, 
entre les membres du Conseil. 

Le President sortant de charge ne peut etre elu President ou 
vice-President pour l'annee qui suit. 

Le meme membre ne peut revetir la. charge de vice-President 
pendant deux annees de suite. 

Article 99. — Le President de la Confederation et les autres 
membres du Conseil federal recoivent un traitement annuel de la 
Caisse federale. 

Article 100. — Le Conseil federal ne peut deliberer que lorsqu'il 
y a au moins quatre membres presents. 

Article 101. — Les membres du Conseil federal ont voix consulta- 
tive dans les deux Sections de l'Assemblee federale, ainsi que le 
droit d'y faire des propositions sur les objets en deliberation. 

Article 102. — Les attributions et les obligations du Conseil fed- 
eral, dans les limites de la presente Constitution, sont notamment 
les suivantes . 

1. II dirige les affaires federales, conformement aux lois et ar- 
retes de la Confederation. 

2. II veille a 1' observation de la Constitution, des lois et des 
arretes de la Confederation, ainsi que des prescriptions des con- 
cordats federaux ; il prend, de son chef ou sur plainte, les mesures 
necessaires pour les faire observer, lorsque le recours n'est pas du 
nombre de ceux qui doivent etre portes devant le Tribunal federal 
k teneur de l'art. 113. 

3. II veille a la garantie des Constitutions cantonales. 



The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 79 

4. II presente des projets de lois ou d'arretes a l'Assemblee 
federale et donne son preavis sur les propositions qui lui sont ad- 
ressees par les Conseils ou par les Cantons. 

5. II pourvoit a 1' execution des lois et des arretes de la Con- 
federation et a celle des jugements du Tribunal federal, ainsi que 
des transactions ou des sentences arbitrales sur des differends entre 
Cantons. 

6. II fait les nominations qui ne sont pas attributes a l'Assem- 
blee federale ou au Tribunal federal ou a une autre autorite. 

7. II examine les traites des Cantons entre eux ou avec l'et- 
ranger, et il les approuve, s'il y a lieu (article 85, chiffre 5). 

8. II veille aux interets de la Confederation au dehors, notam- 
ment a 1' observation de ses rapports internationaux, et il est, en 
general, charge des relations exterieures. 

9. II veille a la surete exterieure de la Suisse, au maintien de 
son independance et de sa neutralite. 

10. II veille a la surete interieure de la Confederation, au 
maintien de la tranquillite et de l'ordre. 

11. En cas d'urgence et lorsque l'Assemblee federale n'est pas 
reunie, le Conseil federal est autorise a lever les troupes neces- 
saires et a en disposer, sous reserve de convoquer immediatement 
les Conseils, si le nombre des troupes levees depasse deux mille 
hommes ou si elles restent sur pied au dela de trois semaines. 

12. II est charge de ce qui a rapport au militaire federal, ainsi 
que de toutes les autres branches de l'administration qui appar- 
tiennent a la Confederation. 

13. II examine les lois et les ordonnances des Cantons qui 
doivent etre soumises a son approbation ; il exerce la surveillance 
sur les branches de l'administration cantonale qui sont placees sous 
son controle. 

14. II administre les finances de la Confederation, propose le 
budget et rend les comptes des recettes et des depenses. 

15. II surveille la gestion de tous les fonctionnaires et employes 
de l'administration federale. 

16. II rend compte de sa gestion a l'Assemblee federale, a 
chaque session ordinaire, lui presente un rapport sur la situation 
de la Confederation tant a l'interieur qu'au dehors, et recommande 
a son attention les mesures qu'il croit utiles a l'accroissement de la 
prosperite commune. 



•80 The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 

II fait aussi des rapports speciaux lorsque l'Assernblee federale 
ou une de ses Sections le demande. 

Article 103. — Les affaires du Conseil federal sont reparties par 
departements entre ses membres. Cette repartition a uniquement 
pour but de faciliter Fexamen et 1' expedition des affaires ; les de- 
cisions emanent du Conseil federal comme autorite. 

Article 104. — Le Conseil federal et ses departements sont autor- 
ises a appeler des experts pour des objets speciaux. 



III. Chancellerie Federale. 

Article 105. — Une chancellerie federale, a la tete de laquelle 
se trouve le Chancelier de la Confederation, est chargee du secre- 
tariat de l'Assemblee federale et de celui du Conseil federal. 

Le Chancelier est elu par l'Assemblee federale pour le terme de 
trois ans, en merae temps que le Conseil federal. 

La chancelleries est sous la surveillance special du Conseil federal. 

Une loi federale determine ce qui a rapport a l'organisation de 
la chancellerie. 

IV. Tribunal Federal. 

Article 106. — II y a un Tribunal federal pour l'administration de 
la justice en matiere federale. 

II y a, de plus, un Jury pour les affaires penales (article 112). 

Article 107. — Les membres et les suppleants du Tribunal federal 
sont nommes par l'Assemblee federale, qui aura egard a ce que les 
trois langues nationales y soient representees. 

La loi determine l'organisation du Tribunal federal et de ses 
sections, le nombre de ses membres et des suppleants, la duree de 
leurs fonctions et leur traitement. 

Article 108. — ■ Peut etre nomme au Tribunal federal tout citoyen 
suisse eligible au Conseil national. 

Les membres de l'Assemblee federale et du Conseil federal et 
les fonctionnaires nommes par ces autorites ne peuvent en meme 
temps faire partie du Tribunal federal. 

Les membres du Tribunal federal ne peuvent, pendant la duree 
de leurs fonctions, revetir aucun autre emploi, soit au service de la 
Confederation, soit dans un Canton, ni suivre d'autre carriere ou 
exercer de profession. 



The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 81 

Article 109. — Le Tribunal federal organise sa chancellerie et en 
nomme le personnel. 

Article 110. — Le Tribunal federal connait des differends de 
droit civil : 

1. entre la Confederation et les Cantons ; 

2. entre la Confederation d'une part et des corporations ou des 
particuliers d'autre part, quand ces corporations ou ces particu- 
liers sont demandeurs et quand le litige atteint le degre d'im- 
portance que determinera la legislation federale ; 

u. entre Cantons ; 

4. entre des Cantons d'une part et des corporations ou des par- 
ticuliers d'autre part, quand une des parties le requiert et que 
le litige atteint le degre d'importance que determinera la legis- 
lation federale. 
II connait de plus des differends concernant le heimatlosat, ainsi 
que des contestations qui surgissent entre communes de differents 
Cantons, touchant le droit de cite. 

Article 111. — Le Tribunal federal est tenu de juger d'autres 
causes, lorsque les parties s'accordent a le nantir et que l'objet en 
litige atteint le degre d'importance que determinera la legislation 
federale. 

Article 112. — Le tribunal federal assiste du Jury, lequel statue 
sur les faits, connait en matiere penale : 

1. des cas de haute trahison en vers la Confederation, de revolte 
ou de violence contre les autorites federales ; 

2. des crimes et des delits contre le droit des gens ; 

3. des crimes et des delits politiques qui sont la cause ou la suite 
de troubles par lesquels une intervention federale armee est 
occasionnee ; 

4. des faits releves a la charge de fonctionnaires nommes par 
une autorite federale, quand cette autorite en saisit le Tribu- 
nal federal. 

Article 113. — Le Tribunal federal connait, en outre : 

1. des conflits de competence entre les autorites federales, d'une 
part, et les autorites cantonales, d'autre part ; 

2. des differends entre Cantons, lorsque ces differends sont du 
domaine du droit public ; 

3. des reclamations pour violation de droits constitutionnels des 
citoyens, ainsi que des reclamations de particuliers pour vio- 
lation de concordats ou de traites. 



82 The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 

Sont reservees les contestations administratives, a determiner 
par la legislation federale. 

Dans tous les cas prementionnes, le Tribunal federal appliquera 
les lois votees par l'Assemblee federale et les arretes de cette As- 
semblee qui ont une portee generale. II se conformera egalement 
aux traites que l'Assemblee federale aura ratifies. 

Article 114. — Outre les cas men tionnes aux articles 110, 112 et 
113, la legislation federale peut placer d'autres affaires dans la 
competence du Tribunal federal ; elle peut, en particulier, donner 
& ce Tribunal des attributions ayant pour but d'assurer l'applica- 
tion uniforme des lois prevues a 1' article 64. 

V. Dispositions Diverses. 

Article 115. — Tout ce qui concerne le siege des autorites de la 
Confederation est Fobjet de la legislation federale. 

Article 116. — Les trois principales langues parlees en Suisse, 
l'allemand, le francais et l'italien, sont langues nationales de la 
Confederation. 

Article 117. — Les fonctionnaires de la Confederation sont re- 
sponsables de leur gestion. Une loi federale determine ce qui tient 
a cette responsabilite. 

Chapitre III. 1 

REVISION DE LA CONSTITUTION FEDERALE 

Article 118. — La constitution federale peut etre revisee en tout 
temps (total ement ou partiellement). 

Article 119. — La revision (totale) a lieu dans les formes statuees 
pour la legislation federale. 

Article 120. — Lorsqu'une section de l'assemblee federale decrete 
la revision (totale) de la constitution federale et que l'autre section 
n'y consent pas, ou bien lorsque cinquante mille citOyens suisses 
ayant droit de voter demandent la revision (totale), la question de 
savoir si la constitution federale doit etre revisee est, dans Pun 
comme dans l'autre cas, soumise a la votation du peuple Suisse, par 
oui ou par non. 

1 The words and parts of this chapter inclosed in brackets were added by the 
amendment of July 5, 1891. 



The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 83 

Si, dans l'un ou dans l'autre de ces cas, la majority des cit- 
oyens suisses prenant part a la votation se prononce pour l'affimative, 
les deux conseils seront renouveles, pour travailler a la revision. 

{Article 121. — La revision partielle peut avoir lieu, soit par la 
voie de l'initiative populaire, soit dans les formes statuees pour la 
legislation federale. 

L'initiative populaire consiste en une demande presentee par 
50,000 citoyens suisses ayant le droit de vote et reclamant l'adop- 
tion d'un nouvel article constitutionnel ou l'abrogation ou la 
modification d'articles determines de la constitution en vigueur. 

Si, par la voie de l'initiative populaire, plusieurs dispositions 
differentes sout presentees pour etre revisees ou pour etre in- 
troduces dans la constitution federale, chacune d'elles doit former 
l'objet d'une demande d'initiative distincte. 

La demande d'initiative peut revetir la forme d'une proposition 
concue en termes generaux ou celle d'un projet redige de toutes 
pieces. 

Lorsque la demande d'initiative est concue en termes generaux 
les chambres federates, si elles l'approuvent, procederont a la 
revision partielle dans le sens indique et en soumettront le projet 
a l'adoption ou au rejet da peuple et des cantons. Si, au contraire, 
elles ne l'approuvent pas, la question de la revision partielle sera 
soumise a la votation du peuple ; si la majorite des citoyens suisses 
prenant part a la votation se prononce pour 1' affirmative, l'assem- 
blee federale procedera a la revision en se conformant a la decision 
populaire. 

Lorsque la demande revet la forme d'un projet redige de toutes 
pieces et que l'assemblee federale lui donne son approbation, le 
projet sera soumis a l'adoption ou au rejet du peuple et des 
cantons. Si l'assemblee federale n'est pas d'accord, elle peut 
elaborer un projet distinct ou recommender au peuple le rejet du 
projet propose et soumettre a la votation son contre-projet ou sa 
proposition de rejet en meme temps que le projet emane de 
l'initiative populaire.) 

{Article 122. — Une loi federale determinera les formalites a 
observer pour les demandes d'initiative populaire et les votations 
relatives a la revision de la constitution federale.) 

Article 123. — La constitution federale revisee (ou la partie 
revisee de la constitution) entre en vigueur lorsqu'elle a ete 



83a The Federal Constitution of Switzerland. 

acceptee par la majorite des citoyens suisses prenant part a la 
votation et par la mojorite des etats. 

Pour etablir la majorite des etats, le vote d'un demi-canton est 
compte pour une demi-voix. 

Le resultat de la votation populaire dans chaque canton est 
considere comme le vote de l'etat. 



Since the plates of the foregoing text were cast, the following 
amendments to the Swiss Constitution have been adopted : 

(1) July 11, 1897: La Confederation a le droit de legiferer: 
a) sur le commerce des denrees alimentaires ; b) sur le commerce 
d'autre articles de menage et objets usuels en tant qu'ils peuvent 
mettre en danger la sante et la vie. — L'execution des lois edictees 
dans ces domaines a lieu par les cantons sous la surveillance et 
avec l'appui financier de la Confederation. — Le controle sur l'im- 
portation a la frontiere nationale appartient a la Confederation. 

(2) July 11, 1897 : Au premier alinea de l'art. 24 de la Constitu- 
tion federale du 29 mai 1897, les mots " dans les regions elevees'* 
sont retrenches. Cet alinea recoit done la teneur suivante. 

Article 24. — La Confederation a le droit de haute surveillance 
sur la police des endiguements et des forets. 

(3) Nov. 13, 1898. Droit civil: La disposition suivante est 
inseree dans la Constitution federale et forme le deuxieme alinea 
de Particle 64 : 

La Confederation a le droit de legiferer aussi sur les autres 
matieres du droit civil. 

Le dernier alinea de l'article 64 de la Constitution federale est 
modifie comme suit : 

L'organization judiciaire, la procedure et l'administration de la 
justice demeurent aux cantons dans la meme mesure que par le 
passe. 

(4) Nov. 13, 1898. Droit penal: L'article 64 bis ainsi concu est 
insere dans la Constitution federale : 

La Confederation a le droit de legiferer en matiere de droit 
penal. 

L'organization judiciaire, la procedure et l'administration de la 
justice demeurent aux cantons dans la meme mesure que par le 
passe. 



The Federal Constitution of Switzerland, 836 

La Confederation a le droit d'accorder aux cantons des subven- 
tions pour les construction d'etablissements penitentiaires, de mais- 
ons de travail et de correction, ainsi que pour les reformes a 
realiser dans 1' execution des peines. Elle a egalement le droit de 
preter son concours a des institutions protectrices de l'enfance 
abandonnee. 



(5) On July 10, 1887, the following words were also added to 
the first clause of Article 64 : 

" Sur la protection des dessins et modeles nouveaux, ainsi que 
des inventions representees par des modeles et applicable a 
l'industrie." 



FRANCE. 

LOIS CONSTITUTIONNELLES. 
I.— LOI DU 25 FEVRIER 1875. 

RELATIVE A l' ORGANISATION DES POUVOIRS PUBLICS. 

Article premier. — Le pouvoir legislatif s'exerce par deux as- 
semblies : la Chambre des deputes et le Sen at. 

La Chambre des deputes est nominee par le suffrage universel, 
dans les conditions determinees par la loi electorale. 

La composition, le mode de nomination et les attributions du 
Senat seront regies par une loi speciale. 

Article 2. — Le President de la Republique est elu a la majorite 
absolue des suffrages par le Senat et par la Chambre des deputes 
reunis en Assemblee nationale. 

II est nomme pour sept ans. II est r&eligible. 

Article 3. — Le President de la Republique a 1' initiative des lois, 
concurremment avec les membres des deux Chambres. II pro- 
mulgue les lois lorsqu'elles ont ete votees par les deux Chambres; 
il en surveille et en assure 1' execution. 

II a le droit de faire grace ; les amnisties ne peuvent etre accor- 
dees que par une loi. 

II dispose de la force armee. 

II nomme a tous les emplois civils et militaires. 

II preside aux solennites nationales ; les envoyes et les ambassa- 
deurs des puissances etrangeres sont accredites aupres de lui. 

Chacun des actes du President de la Republique doit etre 
contresigne par un ministre. 

Article 4. — Au fur et a mesure des vacances qui se produiront a 
partir de la promulgation de la pre sen te loi, le President de la Re- 
publique nomme, en conseil des ministres, les conseillers d'Etat 
en service ordinaire. 

Les conseillers d'Etat ainsi nommes ne pourront etre revoques 
que par decret rendu en conseil des ministres. 



The Constitution of France. 85 

Les conseillers d'Etat nommes en vertu de la loi du 24 mai 1872 
ne pourront, jusqu'a l'expiration de leurs pouvoirs, etre revoques 
que dans la forme determinee par cette loi. Apres la separation de 
l'Assemblee nationale, la revocation ne pourra etre pronoun cee 
que par une resolution du Senat. 

Article 5. — Le President de la Republique peut, sur l'avis con- 
forme du Senat, dissoudre la Chambre des deputes avant l'expir- 
ation legale de son mandat. 

En ce cas, les colleges electoraux sont convoques pour de nou- 
velles elections dans le delai de trois mois. 

Article 6. — Les ministres sont solidairement responsables devant 
les Chambres de la politique general du gouvernement, et indivi- 
duellement de leurs actes personnels. 

Le President de la Republique n'est responsable que dans le 
cas de haute trahison. 

Article 7. — En cas de vacance par deces ou pour toute autre 
cause, les deux Chambres reunies procedent immediatement a 
l'election d'un nouveau president. 

Dans l'intervalle ; le conseil des ministres est investi du pouvoir 
executif. 

Article 8. — Les Chambres auront le droit, par deliberations se- 
parees prises dans chacune a la majorite absolue des voix, soit 
spontanement, soit sur la demande du President de la Repu- 
blique, de declarer qu'il y a lieu de reviser les lois constitutionnelles. 

Apres que chacune des deux Chambres aura pris cette resolu- 
tion, elles se reuniront en Assemblee nationale pour proceder a 
la revision. 

Les deliberations portant revision des lois constitutionnelles, 
en tout ou en partie, devront etre prises a la majorite absolue des 
membres composant l'Assemblee nationale. 

Toutefois, pendant la duree des pouvoirs conferes par la loi du 
20 novembre 1873 a M. le marechal de Mac-Mahon, cette revision 
ne peut avoir lieu que sur la proposition du President de la Repu- 
blique. 

Article 9. — Le siege du pouvoir executif et des deux Chambres 
est a Versailles. 1 

1 By an Amendment, adopted in 1879, Paris was made the seat of govern- 
ment; but with the provision that when the two chambers meet as "the 
National Assembly," to elect a President or to amend the lois constitutionelles, 
the meeting shall be held at Versailles. 



86 The Constitution of France. 



II.— LOI DIT 24 FEVRIER 1875. 1 

RELATIVE A l' ORGANISATION DU SENAT. 

Article premier. — Le Senat se compose de trois cents membres : 

Deux cent vingt-cinq elus par les departments et les colonies, 
et soixante-quinze elus par l'Assemblee nationale. 

Article 2. — Les departments de la Seine et du Nord eliront 
chacun cinq senateurs ; 

Les departements de la Seine-Inferieure, Pas- de- Calais, Gir- 
onde, Rhone, Finistere, C6tes-du-Nord, chacun quatre senateurs. 

Les departements de la Loire-Inferieure, Saone-et-Loire, Ille- 
et-Vilaine, Seine- et-Oise, Isere, Puy-de-D6me, Somme, Bouches- 
du-Rhone, Aisne, Loire, Manche, Maine-et-Loire, Morbihan, Dor- 
dogne, Haute-Garonne, Charente-Inferieure, Calvados, Sarthe, 
Herault, Basses- Pyrenees, Gard, Aveyron, Vendee, Orne, Oise, 
Yosges, Allier, chacun trois senateurs ; 

Tous les autres departements, chacun deux senateurs. 

Le territoire de Belfort, les trois departements de l'Algerie, les 
quatre colonies de la Martinique, de la Guadeloupe, de la Re- 
union et des Indes francaises eliront chacun un senateur. 

Article 3. — Nul ne peut etre senateur s'il n'est Francais age de 
quarante ans au moins, et s'il ne jouit de ses droits civils et poli- 
tiques. 

Article 4. — Les senateurs des departements et des colonies sont 
elus a la majorite absolue et, quand il y a lieu, au scrutin de liste, 
par un college reuni au chef- lieu du departement ou de la colonie 
et compose: 1. des deputes; 2. des conseillers generaux; 3. des 
sonseillers d'arrondissement ; 4. des delegues elus, un par chaque 
conseil municipal, parmi les electeurs de la commune. 

Dans l'lnde francaise, les membres du conseil colonial ou des 
conseils locaux sont substitues aux conseillers d'arrondissement et 
aux delegues des conseils municipaux. 

lis votent au chef-lieu de chaque establissement. 

Article 5. — Les senateurs nommes par l'Assemblee sont elus au 
scrutin de liste et a la majorite absolue des suffrages. 

Article 6. — Les senateurs des departements et des colonies sont 
elus pour neuf annees et renouvelables, par tiers, tous les trois ans. 

1 The first seven articles of this loi were repealed in 1884. See Loi IV, 
art. 3, and the Act of Dec. 10, 1884, art. 9. 



The Constitution of France. 87 

Au debut de la premiere session, les departements seront di- 
vises en trois series, contenant chacune un nombre egal de sena- 
teurs ; il sera pro-cede, par le voie du tirage au sort, a la designa- 
tion des series qui devront etre renouvelees a l'expiration de la 
premiere et de la deuxieme periode triennale. 

Article 7. — Les senateurs elus par l'Assemblee sont inamovibles. 

En cas de vacance par deces demission ou autre cause, il sera, 
dans les deux mois, pourvu au remplacement par le Senat lui- 
meme. 

Article 8. — Le Senat a, concurremment avec la Chambre des 
deputes, l'initiative et la confection des lois. Toutefois les lois de 
finances doivent etre, en premier lieu, presentees a la Chambre 
des deputes et votees par elle. 

Article 9. — Le Senat peut etre constitue en cour de justice pour 
juger soit le president de la Republique, soit les ministres, et pour 
connaitre des attentats commis contre la surete de l'Etat. 

Article 10. — II sera procede a l'election du Senat un mois avant 
1'epoque fixee par l'Assemblee nationale pour sa separation. 

Le Senat entrera en fonctions et se constituera le jour meme 
ou l'Assemblee nationale se separera. 

(Delibere le 24 fevrier 1875 ; promulgue au Journal officiel du 28 
fevrier 1875.) 

III.— LOI CONSTITUTIONNELLE DU 16 JUILLET 1875. 

SUR LES RAPPORTS DES POUVOIRS PUBLICS. 

Article premier. — Le Senat et la Chambre des deputes se re- 
unissent chaque annee, le second mardi de Janvier, a moins d'une 
convocation anterieure faite par le president de la Republique. 

Les deux Chambres doivent etre reunies en session cinq mois au 
moins chaque annee. La session de l'une commence et finit en 
meme temps que celle de 1' autre. 

Le dimanche qui suivra la rentree, des prieres publiques seront 
addressees a Dieu dans les eglises et dans les temples pour ap- 
peler son secours sur les travaux des Assemblies. 1 

Article 2. — Le president de la Republique prononce la cloture 
de la session. II a le doit de convoquer extraordinairement les 
Chambres. 

1 Repealed in 1884. 



\ 



88 The Constitution of France. 

» 

II devra les convoquer si la demande en est faite, dans l'inter- 
valle des sessions, par la majorite absolue des membres composant 
chaque Chambre. 

Le President peut ajourner les Chambres. Tontefois, l'ajourne- 
ment ne peut exceder le terme d'un mois, ni avoir lieu plus de 
deux fois dans la meme session. 

Article 3. — Un mois au moins avant le terme legal des pouvoirs 
du president de la Republique, les Chambres devront etre reunies 
en Assemblee nationale pour proceder a l'election du nouveau 
President. 

A defaut de convocation, cette reunion aurait lieu de plein 
droit le quinzieme jour avant 1' expiration de ces pouvoirs. 

En cas de deces ou de demission du president de la Republique, 
les deux Chambres se reunissent immediatement et de plein 
droit. 

Dans le cas ou, par application de Particle 5 de la loi du 25 
fevrier 1875, la Chambre des deputes se trouverait dissoute au 
moment ou la presidence de la Republique deviendrait vacante, 
les colleges electoraux seraient aussitot convoques, et le Senat se 
reunirait de plein droit. 

Article 4. — Toute assemblee de l'une des deux Chambres qui 
serait tenue hors du temps de la session commune est illicite et 
nulle de plein droit, sauf le cas prevu par l'article precedent et 
celui ou le Senat est reuni comme cour de justice, et, dans ce der- 
nier cas, il ne peut exercer que des fonctions judiciairies. 

Article 5. — Les seances du Senat et celles de la Chambre des 
deputes sont publiques. 

Neanmoins chaque Chambre peut se former en comite secret,, 
sur la demande d'un certain nombre de ses membres, fixe par le 
reglement. 

Elle decide ensuite, a la majorite absolue, si la seance doit etre 
reprise en public sur le meme sujet. 

Article 6. — Le president de la Republique communique avec 
les Chambres par des messages qui sont lus a la tribune par un 
ministre. 

Les ministres ont leur entree dans les deux Chambres et doi- 
vent etre entendus quand ils le demandent. lis peuvent se faire 
. assister par des commissaires designes pour la discussion d'un pro- 
jet de loi determine, par decret du president de la Republique. 



The Constitution of France. 89 

Article 7. — Le president de la Republique promulgue les lois- 
dans le mois qui suit la transmission au gouvernement de la loi 
definitivement adoptee. II doit promulguer dans les trois jours les 
lois dont la promulgation, par un vote expres dans l'une et l'autre- 
Chambre, aura ete declaree urgente. 

Dans le delai fixe pour la promulgation, le president de la Re- 
publique peut, par un message motive, demander aux deux 
Chambres une nouvelle deliberation, qui ne peut etre refusee. 

Article 8. — Le president de la Republique negocie et ratine les- 
traites. II en donne connaissance aux Chambres aussitot que 
l'interet et la surete de l'Etat le permettent. 

Les traites de paix, de commerce, les traites qui engagent les 
finances de l'Etat, ceux qui sont relatifs a l'etat des personnes et 
au droit de propriete des Francais a l'etranger, ne sont definitifs 
qu'apres avoir ete votes par les deux Chambres. Nulle cession,, 
nul echange, nulle adjonction de territoire ne peut avoir lieu 
qu'en vertu d'une loi. 

Article 9. — Le president de la Republique ne peut declarer la 
guerre sans l'assentiment prealable des deux Chambres. 

Article 10. — Chacune des Chambres est juge de l'eligibilite de 
ses membres et de la regularity de leur election ; elle peut seule re- 
cevoir leur demission. 

Article 11. — Le bureau de chacune des deux Chambres est elu 
chaque annee pour la duree de la session, et pour toute session ex- 
traordinaire qui aurait lieu avant la session ordinaire de l'annee 
suivante. 

Lorsque les deux Chambres se reunissent en Assemble nationale, 
leur bureau se compose des president, vice-presidents et secretaires 
du Senat. 

Article 12. — Le president de la Republique ne peut etre mis en 
accusation que par la Chambre des deputes et ne peut etre juge que 
par le Senat. 

Les ministres peuvent etre mis en accusation par la Chambre des 
deputes pour crimes commis dans l'exercise de leurs f onctions. En 
ce cas, ils sont juges par le Senat. 

Le Senat peut etre constitue en cour de justice par un decret du 
President de la Republique, rendu en Conseil des ministres, pour 
juger toute personne prevenue d' attentat commis contre la surete 
de l'Etat. 



90 The Constitution of France. 

Si l'instruction est commencee par la justice ordinaire, le decret 
de convocation du Senat peut etre rendu jusqu'a Parret de renvoi. 

line loi determinera le mode de proceder pour P accusation, l'in- 
struction et le jugement. 

Article 13. — Aucun membre de l'une ou de 1' autre Chambre ne 
peut etre poursuivi ou recherche a l'occasion des opinions ou votes 
emis par lui dans l'exercice de ses fonctions. 

Article 14. — Aucun membre de l'une ou de l'autre Chambre ne 
peut, pendant la duree de la session, etre poursuivi ou arrete en 
matiere criminelle ou correctionnelle qu'avec l'autorisation de la 
Chambre dont il fait partie, sauf le cas de flagrant delit. 

La detention ou la poursuite d'une membre de l'une ou de l'autre 
Chambre est suspendue pendant la session, et pour toute sa duree, 
si la Chambre le requiert. 

(Delibere les 22 juin et 7 juillet 1875 ; promulgue au Journal 
officiel du 18 juillet 1875.) 

IV. 

LOI PORTANT REVISION PARTIELLE DES LOIS 
CONSTITUTIONNELLES. 

L'Assemblee nationale a adopte. 

Le President de la Republique promulgue la loi dont la teneur 
suit : 

Article 1. — Le paragraphe 2 de Particle 5 de la loi constitution- 
nelle du 25 fevrier 1875, relative a 1' organisation des pouvoirs 
publics, est modifie ainsi qu'il suit : 

"En ce cas, les colleges electoraux sont reunis pour de nouvelles 
elections dans le delai de deux mois et la Chambre dans les dix 
jours qui suivront la cloture des operations electorates. " 

Article 2. — Le paragraphe 3 de Particle 8 de la meme loi du 25 
fevrier 1875 est complete ainsi qu'il suit : 

"La forme republicaine du Gouvernement ne peut faire Pobjet 
d'une proposition de revision. 

"Les membres des families ayant regne sur la France sont in- 
eligibles a la Presidence de la Republique." 

Article 3. — Les articles 1 a* 7 de la loi constitutionnelle du 24 
fevrier 1875, relative a Porganisation du Senat, n'auront plus le 
caractere constitutionnel. 



The Constitution of France. 91 

Article 4. — Le paragraphe 3 de 1' article 1 de la loi constitu- 
tionnelle du 16 juillet 1875, sur les rapports des pouvoirs publics, 
est abroge. 

La presente loi, deliberee et adoptee par l'Assemblee nationale, 
sera executee comme loi de l'Etat. 

Fait a Paris, le 14 aotit 1884. 



V. 

LOI PORTANT MODIFICATION AUX LOIS ORGANI- 

QUES SUR L'ORGANISATION DU SENAT ET 

LES ELECTIONS DES SENATEURS. 

Le Senat et la Chambre des deputes ont adopte. 

Le President de la Republique promulgue la loi dont la teneur 
suit : 

Article 1. — Le Senat se compose de trois cents membres elus 
par les departements et les colonies. 

Les membres actuels, sans distinction entre les senateurs elus 
par l'Assemblee nationale ou le Senat et ceux qui sont elus par les 
departements et les colonies, conservent leur mandat pendant le 
temps pour lequel ils ont ete nommes. 

Article 4. — Nul ne peut etre senateur s'il n'est Francais, age de 
quarante ans au moins et s'il ne jouit de ses droits civils et poli- 
tiques. 

Les membres des families qui ont regne sur la France sont in- 
eligibles au Senat. 

Article 6. — Les senateurs sont elus au scrutin de liste quand il y 
a lieu, par un college reuni au chef lieu du departement ou de la 
colonie et compose : 

1. Des deputes ; 

2. Des conseillers generaux ; 

3. Des conseillers d'arrondissement ; 

4. Des delegues elus parmi les electeurs de la commune, par 
chaque conseil municipal. 

Les conseils composes de 10 membres eliront 1 delegue. 
Les conseils composes de 12 membres eliront 2 delegues. 
Les conseils composes de 16 membres eliront 3 delegues. 
Les conseils composes de 21 membres eliront 6 delegues. 



92 The Constitution of France. 

Les conseils composes de 23 membres eliront 9 delegues. 

Les conseils composes de 27 membres eliront 12 delegues. 

Les conseils composes de 30 membres eliront 15 delegues. 

Les conseils composes de 32 membres eliront 18 delegues. 

Les conseils composes de 34 membres eliront 21 delegues. 

Les conseils composes de 36 membres et audessus eliront 2 J 
•delegues. 

Le conseil municipal de Paris elira 30 delegues. 

Dans l'Inde francaise, les membres des conseils locaux sont sub- 
stitutes aux conseillers d'arrondissement. Le conseil municipal de 
Pondichery elira 5 delegues. Le conseil municipal de Karikal elira 
3 delegues. Toutes les autres communes eliront chacune 2 de- 
legues. 

Le vote a lieu au chef-lieu de chaque etablissement. 

Article 7. — Les membres du Senat sont elus pour neuf annees. 

Le Senat se renouvelle tous les trois ans, conformement a l'ordre 
des series de departements et colonies actuellement existantes. 

Article 8. — Les articles 2 (paragraphes 1 et 2), 3, 4, 5, 8, 14, 16, 
19, 23 de la loi organique du 2 aout 1875, sur les elections des 
senateurs, sont modifies ainsi qu'il suit : 

"Article 2 (paragraphes 1 et 2) . — Dans chaque conseil municipal, 
l'election des delegues se fait, sans debat, au scrutin secret, et, le 
cas echeant, au scrutin de liste, a la majorite absolue des suffrages. 
Apres deux tours de scrutin, la majorite relative suffit, et, en cas 
d'egalite de suffrages, le plus age est elu." 

Article 9. — Sont abroges : 

1. Les articles 1 a 7 de la loi du 24 fevrier 1875 sur Forganisa- 
tion de Senat; 

2. Les articles 24 et 25 de la loi du 2 aout 1875 sur les elections 
des senateurs. 

Fait a Paris le 10 dec. 1884. 



CONSTITUTION OF THE GERMAN EMPIRE. 

His Majesty the King of Prussia, in the name of the North 
German Confederation, His Majesty the King of Bavaria, His 
Majesty the King of Wurtemburg, His Royal Highness the 
Grand Duke of Baden, and His Royal Highness the Grand Duke 
of Hesse and by Rhine for the part of Hesse lying south of the 
Main, make a perpetual Federation for the protection of the 
federal territory and the laws prevailing therein, as well as for 
promoting the welfare of the German people. This Federation 
shall bear the name German Empire, and shall have the following 
Constitution : 

I. Territory of the Federation. 

Article 1. — [Declares that the territory of the Empire consists 
of the united territories of the several States composing the 
Empire. See list in Article 6. Alsace-Lorraine and Heligoland 
have been added to the Empire since this Constitution was 
adopted.] 

II. Legislation of the Empire. 

Article 2. — Within this territory the Empire exercises the right 
of legislation according to the provisions of this Constitution, and 
the laws of the Empire shall take precedence of those of each 
individual State. The laws of the Empire acquire their binding 
force by imperial promulgation, which takes place through an 
imperial Gazette. Whenever a law thus promulgated fixes no 
other date for going into force, it shall take effect on the four- 
teenth day from the date of promulgation. 

Article 3. There exists a common nationality for all Germany; 
consequently, a person (subject or citizen) belonging to any one 
State is to be treated as a member of the community in every 
other State ; and accordingly, is to be admitted to settled resi- 
dence, to industrial pursuits, to public offices, to the acquisition 
of land, to the attainment of political rights, and to the enjoy- 
ment of all other civil rights on the same terms as natives of the 



94 Constitution of the German Empire. 

State ; also, as regards access to the courts and the protection of 
the laws, is to be treated on a footing of equality with the natives 
of the State. 

No German shall be hindered in the exercise of these rights by 
the authorities of his own State, nor by the authorities of any 
other State. 

Existing enactments relative to care of the poor and admission 
into local communal associations, shall not be affected by the 
principle announced in the first paragraph. 

Likewise, until further action, those treaties remain in force 
which have been made between individual States, regarding the 
reception of banished persons, the care of sick and the burial 
of deceased subjects of such States. 

As regards the fulfilment of military duty in relation to the 
native State, requisite provisions shall be made by way of 
imperial law. 

Towards foreign countries all Germans have equal claim to the 
protection of the Empire. 

Article 4. — The following matters shall be subject to the super- 
vision of the Empire and to the legislation thereof : 

1. Regulations respecting freedom of migration, domicile, and 
the settlement of natives of one State in the territory of another; 
the rights of citizenship ; the issuing and examination of passports 
and surveillance of foreigners ; industrial affairs including insur- 
ance business, so far as these matters are not already provided 
for by Article 3 of this Constitution (in Bavaria, however, exclu- 
sive of laws relating to domicile and the settlements of natives of 
one state in the territory of another) ; and likewise matters relat- 
ing to colonization and emigration to foreign countries. 

2. Legislation concerning custom duties and commerce, and 
such taxes as are to be applied to the uses of the Empire. 

3. Regulation of weights and measures, and the coinage, to- 
gether with the emission of funded and unfunded paper money. 

4. Banking regulations in general. 

5. Patents for inventions. 

6. The protection of literary property. 

7. The organization of a common protection for German trade 
in foreign countries, for German navigation, and for the German 
flag upon the high seas ; likewise the organization of a common 
consular representation of the Empire. 



Constitution of the German Umpire. 95 

8. Railway .matters (subject in Barvaria to the provision of 
Article 46) and the construction of means of communication by 
.land and water for the purposes of national defense and of 
general commerce. 

9. Rafting and navigation upon those water-ways which are 
common to several states, and the condition of such waters, as 
likewise tolls on rivers and other waters ; also aids to navigation 
(lighthouses, buoys, beacons, and other day-marks) - 1 

.10. Postal and telegraphic affairs; but in Bavaria and Wur- 
temburg these shall be subject to the provisions of Article 52. 

11. Regulations concerning the mutual execution of judicial 
decrees in civil matters, and the fulfilment of requisitions in 
general. 

12. The authentication of public documents. 

13. [Common legislation regarding the law of obligations, crim- 
inal law, commercial law, and the law relating to bills of exchange ; 
likewise judicial proceedings.] 

An amendment promulgated Dec. 20, 1873, substituted the following para- 
graph for the original clause numbered 13: 

Common legislation regarding civil rights, criminal law, and 

judicial procedure. 

14. The imperial army and navy. 

-' 15. The surveillance of the medical and veterinary professions. 

16. Provisions regarding the press and societies. 

Article 5. — The legislative power of the Empire shall be exer- 
cised by the Federal Council and the Diet. A majority of the 
votes of both houses shall be necessary and sufficient for the 
passage of a law. 

In the case of bills relating to the army or navy, or to the 
imposts specified in Article 35, the vote of the King of Prussia 
shall decide when, in case of a difference of opinion in the Federal 
Council, said vote shall be in favor of the retention of existing 
arrangements. 

1 Amendment. [Promulgated in the Imperial Gazette, March 3, 1873.] 
We, WiL'iam, by the Grace of God German Emperor, King of Prussia, etc., 
do ordain that which follows in the name of the German Empire, the consent 
of the Federal Council and Imperial Diet having been obtained thereto: 

In Article 4 of the Imperial Constitution the following addition is to be 
made to the ninth section : 

Also aids to navigation (lighthouses, buoys, beacons, and other day-marks). 

Signed, etc. (L.SJ William. 



96 Constitution of the German Empire. 



III. Federal Cottnctl. 

Article 6. — The Federal Council shall ojonsist of the representa- 
tives of the members of the Confederation, among whom the votes 
shall be divided in such a manner that Prussia, including the for- 
mer votes of Hanover, the electorate of Hesse, Holstein, Nassau, 
and Frankfort shall have 17 votes ; Bavaria, 6 votes ; Saxony, 4 
votes ; Wurtemburg, 4 votes ; Baden, 3 votes ; Hesse, 3 votes ; 
Mecklenburg- Schwerin, 2 votes; Saxe- Weimar, 1 vote; Mecklen- 
burg- Strelitz, 1 vote ; Oldenburg, 1 vote ; Brunswick, 2 votes ; 
Saxe-Meiningen, 1 vote ; Saxe Altenburg, 1 vote ; Saxe-Coburg- 
Gotha, 1 vote ; Anhalt, 1 vote ; Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, 1 vote ; 
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, 1 vote ; Waldeck, 1 vote ; Reuss, 
elder branch, 1 vote ; Reuss, younger branch, 1 vote ; Schaumburg- 
Lippe, 1 vote ; Lippe, 1 vote ; Lubeck, 1 vote ; Bremen, 1 vote ; 
Hamburgh, 1 vote ; total 58 votes. Each member of the Confed- 
eration may appoint as many plenipotentiaries to the Federal 
Council as it has votes ; all the votes belonging to each shall, how- 
ever, be cast as a unit. 

Article 7. — The Federal Council acts upon — 

1. The measures to be proposed to the Diet, and the bills and 
resolutions passed by the same. 

2. The general administrative directions and regulations neces- 
sary for the execution of the laws of the Empire, so far as no other 
provision is made by said laws. 

3. Defects that may be discovered in the execution of the laws 
of the Empire or of the directions and regulations above men- 
tioned. Each member of the Confederation shall have the right 
to introduce motions, and it shall be the duty of the praesidium 
to submit them for deliberation. 

Legislative action shall take place by simple majority, with the 
exceptions of the provisions in Articles 5, 37, and 78. Votes not 
represented or not instructed shall not be counted. In the case 
of a tie, the vote of the praesidium shall decide. 

When legislative action is taken upon a subject which, accord- 
ing to the provisions of this Constitution, does not affect the 
whole Empire, the votes of only those states of the Confederation 
shall be counted which shall be interested in the matter in 
question. 



Constitution of the German Empire. 97 

Article 8.— The Federal Council shall appoint from its own 
members standing committees — 

1. On the army and the fortifications. 

2. On maritime affairs. 

3. On customs- duties and taxes. 

4. On commerce and trade. 

5. On railroads, post-offices, and telegraphs. 

6. On judicial affairs. 

7. On accounts. 

In each of these committees there shall be representatives of at 
least four States of the Confederation besides the praesidium, and 
each State shall be entitled to only one vote in the same. 

In the committee on the army and fortifications Bavaria shall 
have a permanent seat ; the remaining members of it, as well as 
the members of the committee on maritime affairs, shall be 
appointed by the Emperor ; the members of the other committees 
shall be elected by the Federal Council. The committees shall be 
newly constituted at each session of the Federal Council, i. e., each 
year. The retiring members shall again be eligible. 

Besides, there shall be appointed in the Federal Council a 
committee on foreign affairs, over which Bavaria shall preside, to 
be composed of the plenipotentiaries of the Kingdoms of Bavaria, 
Saxony, and Wurtemburg, and of two plenipotentiaries of other 
States of the Empire, who shall be elected annually by the Fed- 
eral Council. 

Clerks shall be placed at the disposal of the committees to 
perform the necessary work appertaining thereto. 

Article 9. — Each member of the Federal Council shall have the 
right to appear in the Diet, and shall be heard there at any time 
when he shall so request in order to present the views of his 
government, even when those views have not been adopted by the 
majority of the Federal Council. Nobody shall be at the same 
time a member of the Federal Council and of the Diet. 

Article 10. — The Emperor shall afford the customary diplo- 
matic protection to the members of the Federal Council. 

IV. Pbaesidium. 

Article 11. — The presidency of the Confederation belongs to 
the King of Prussia, who shall have the title of German Emperor. 



98 Constitution of the Grerman Umpire. 

The Emperor shall represent the Empire among nations, declare 
war, and conclude peace in the name of the same, enter into 
alliances and other conventions with foreign countries, accredit 
and receive ambassadors. 

For a declaration of war in the name of the Empire, the 
consent of the Federal Council shall be required, except in case 
of an attack upon the territory of the Confederation or its 
coasts. 

So far as treaties with foreign countries refer to matters which, 
according to Article 4, belong to the domain of imperial legis- 
lation, the consent of the Federal Council shall be required for 
their ratification, and the approval of the Diet shall be necessary 
to their validity. 

Article 12. — The Emperor shall have the right to convene, to 
open, to adjourn and to prorogue the Federal Council and the 
Diet. 

Article 13. — The convocation of the Federal Council and the 
Diet shall take place annually, and the Federal Council may be 
called together for the preparation of business without the Diet; 
the latter, however, shall not be convoked without the Federal 
Council. 

Article 14. — The convocation of the Federal Council shall take 
place as soon as demanded by one-third of its whole number of 
votes. 

Article 15. — The Chancellor of the Empire, who shall be 
appointed by the Emperor, shall be Chairman of the Federal 
Council, and shall conduct its business. 

The Chancellor of the Empire shall have the right to name, in 
writing, any other member of the Federal Council to act as his 
representative. 

Article 16. — The necessary proposals shall be laid before the 
Diet in the name of the Emperor, in accordance with the resolu- 
tions of the Federal Council, and they shall be presented in the 
Diet by members of the Federal Council or by special commis- 
sioners appointed by said Council. 

Article 17. — The Emperor shall issue and promulgate the laws 
of the Empire, and shall watch over the execution of the same. 
The commands and directions of the Emperor shall be issued in 
the name of the Empire, and require for their validity the signa- 
ture of the Chancellor, who thereby assumes the responsibility. 



Constitution of the German Empire. 99 

Article 18. — The Emperor shall appoint the officers of the 
Empire, require them to take the oath of allegiance to the 
Empire, and in necessary cases, order their discharge. 

Officials of the States of the Confederation, when called into 
the imperial service, shall enjoy toward the Empire the same rights 
to which they were entitled in their native States by their official 
position, provided no other provision shall have been made by 
imperial laws previously to their entrance into the service of the 
Empire. 

Article 19. — If members of the Confederation shall not fulfil 
their constitutional duties, they may be compelled thereto by 
military execution. This execution is to be ordered by the 
Federal Council and enforced by the Emperor. 

V. The Diet. 

Article 20. — The members of the Diet shall be chosen by direct 
election, with universal suffrage and secret ballot. 

Until regulated by law, as contemplated by section 5 of the 
election law of May 31, 1869 (Federal Gazette, 1869, page 145), 
48 deputies shall be elected in Bavaria, 17 in Wurtemburg, 14 in 
Baden, 6 in Hesse south of the river Main, and the total number 
of members shall be 382. [Now 397 by the addition of 15 mem- 
bers from Alsace-Lorraine. 

Article 21. — Officials shall not need a leave of absence in order 
to enter the Diet. 

When a member of the Diet accepts a salaried office of the 
Empire, or a salaried office in one of the States of the Confeder- 
ation, or accepts any office of the Empire, or of a State, with which 
a higher rank or salary is connected, he shall forfeit his seat and 
vote in the Diet, but may recover his place in the same by a new 
election. 

Article 22. — The proceedings of the Diet shall be public. 

Truthful reports of the proceedings of the public sessions of the 
Diet shall subject those making them to no responsibility. 

Article 23. — The Diet shall have the right to propose laws 
within the jurisdiction of the Empire, and to refer petitions 
addressed to it to the Federal Council or to the Chancellor of 
the Empire. 



100 Constitution of the G-erman Empire. 

Article 24.— The legislative period of the Diet shall be five 
years. 1 The Diet may be dissolved at any time by a resolution 
of the Federal Council, with the consent of the Emperor. 

Article 25. — In the case of a dissolution of the Diet, new elec- 
tions shall take place within a period of 60 days, and the Diet 
shall be convoked within a period of 90 days after the dissolution. 

Article 26. — Unless by consent of the Diet a prorogation of that 
body shall not exceed the period of 30 days, and shall not be re- 
peated during the same session, without such consent. 

Article 27. — The Diet shall examine the election returns of its 
members and decide thereon. It shall determine its rules of pro- 
ceeding and its own discipline, and elect its president, vice-presi- 
dents, and secretaries. 

Article 28. — The Diet decides questions by absolute majority. 
To render a valid decision the presence of a majority of the 
lawful number of members is necessary. 

In deciding on matters that, according to the provisions of this 
Constitution, are not common to the whole Empire, the votes of 
only those members shall be counted who shall have been elected 
in those States of the Confederation to which the matter is com- 
mon. [This provision was repealed in 1873.] 

Article 29. — The members of the Diet are the representatives 
of the entire people, and shall not loe bound by orders and 
instructions. 

Article 30. — No member of the Diet shall at any time suffer 
prosecution whether by judicial or administrative process, on 
account of his vote, or on account of utterances made while in 
the performance of his functions, or be otherwise held responsible 
outside of the Diet for his actions. 

Article 31. — Without the consent of the Diet, none of its 
members shall be tried or arrested, during the session, for any 
punishable offence, except when seized in the act of committing 
the offence, or in the course of the following day. 

Similar approval is necessary in the case of arrests for debt. 

On demand of the Diet, all prosecutions instituted against any 
of its members, and likewise detentions and civil arrests, shall be 
suspended during its session. 

Article 32. — The members of the Diet shall not, as such, draw 
any salary, or allowance for expenses. 

1 Originally three years, but changed by an act of 1888 to five years. 



Constitution of the German Empire. 101 

VI. Customs-duties and Commerce. 

Article 33. — For purposes of customs-duties and commerce 
Germany constitutes one territory, with a common tariff boundary. 
Those portions of territory which, on account of their situation, 
could not conveniently be included within the common tariff 
boundary, are excluded therefrom. 

All articles which enter freely into the commerce of any State 
of the federation, may be conveyed into every other State, and 
shall be subject, in such other State, only to such taxes or 
dues as are imposed on similar articles produced by its own inhab 
itants. 

Article 34. — The Hanse cities of Bremen and Hamburg with an 
adequate district of their own or of neighboring territory, remain 
as free ports outside of the common tariff boundary, until they 
themselves ask to be included within it. 

Article 35. — The Empire has the exclusive power to legislate 
concerning everything relating to the common tariff ; concerning 
the taxation of salt and tobacco produced in the territory of the 
Confederation ; concerning the taxation of manufactured brandy 
and beer, and of sugar and syrup prepared from beets or other 
domestic products; concerning the mutual protection against 
evasion of excise taxes levied in the several States of the Empire; 
as well as concerning the measures which are required, as regards 
the places exempted from the payment of duties, for the security 
of the common customs frontier. 

In Bavaria, Wurtemburg, and Baden the taxation of domestic 
brandy and beer is reserved for the legislation of the State. The 
States of the Confederation shall, however, endeavor to bring 
about uniformity of legislation regarding the taxation of these 
articles. 

Article 36. — The collection and administration of the customs 
and excise duties within each State remain in the hands of the 
State authorities, so far as this has been the practice hitherto. 

The Emperor supervises the observance of lawful procedure by 
means of imperial officers whom he appoints with the approval of 
the Committee of the Federal Council on Taxation, to act in 
conjunction with the customs and tax officers and financial depart- 
ments of the several States. 



102 Constitution of the Grerman Empire. 

Reports made by these imperial officers regarding defects in 
the execution of the common legislation (Art. 35) will be laid 
before the Federal Council for action thereon. 

Article 37. — In the decision of questions relating to the admin- 
istrative measures appropriate for giving effect to the common 
legislation, the vote of Prussia shall be decisive when it is in favor 
of maintaining the existing rule or arrangement. 

Article 38. — The proceeds of the customs- duties and of those 
of the other dues mentioned in Article 35 that are subject to 
imperial legislation, shall be paid into the imperial treasury. 

These proceeds are the net yield of the customs-duties and 
other imperial dues after the deduction of : 

(1) The drawbacks and remissions of duties provided for by 
law or by general administrative regulations ; 

(2) Amounts refunded on account of not having been lawfully 
payable ; 

(3) Costs of collection and administration, that is to say : 

(a) In the case of customs-duties, the costs which are neces- 
sary for their protection and enforcement on the national frontiers. 

(b) In the case of the salt tax, the amounts applied to the pay- 
ment of the officers charged with the collection and control of this 
tax at the salt-works. 

(c) In the case of the taxes on beet-sugar and tobacco, the 
allowances granted from time to time, according to the orders of 
the Federal Council, to the governments of the several States for 
the costs of administering these taxes. 

(d) In the case of the remaining taxes, fifteen per cent of the 
gross proceeds. 

The territories lying outside of the common customs boundary 
contribute to the revenues of the Empire by the payment of an 
aver sum. 

Bavaria, Wurtemburg, and Baden have no share in the expen- 
diture of the revenue accruing to the imperial treasury from the 
taxes on brandy and beer, nor of the portion of the aversum above 
mentioned, corresponding to these taxes. 

Article 39. — Quarterly reports are to be submitted at the end 
of every three months by the finance department of each State, 
as well as annual reports at the end of each year, showing the 
yield of the customs-duties and of the excise taxes imposed accord- 
ing to Article 38 for the benefit of the imperial treasury; and 



Constitution of the German Umpire. 103 

these accounts after being verified are to be summarized by the 
superior officers of finance in the several States, in such a manner 
as to show the yield of each tax separately, and these summaries 
are to be laid before the Committee of Accounts of the Federal 
Council. 

The Committee, on the basis of these summaries, determines 
provisionally, every three months, how much is due from the 
treasury of each State to the imperial treasury, and communicates 
its finding to the Federal Council and to the several States ; also 
it reports to the Federal Council at the end of each year, its final 
determination of the amounts so due for the year. The Federal 
Council acts upon the report. 

VII. Railways. 

Article 41. — Railways which are considered necessary for the 
defence of Germany or for purposes of general commerce, may be 
built for the account of the Empire by a law of the Empire, even 
in opposition to the will of those members of the Confederation 
through whose territory the railroads run, without detracting from 
the rights of the sovereign of that country ; or private companies 
may be charged with their construction and receive rights of ex- 
propriation. 

Every existing railway company is bound to permit new rail- 
road lines to be connected with it, at the expense of these latter. 

All laws granting existing railway companies the right of in- 
junction against the building of parallel or competing lines are 
hereby abolished throughout the Empire, without detriment to 
rights already acquired. Such right of injunction can not be 
granted in concessions to be given hereafter. 

Article 42. — The governments of the federal States bind them- 
selves in the interest of general commerce, to have the German 
railways managed as a uniform network, and for this purpose to 
have all new lines constructed and equipped according to a 
uniform system. 

Article 43. — Accordingly, as soon as possible, uniform arrange- 
ments as to management shall be made, and especially shall uni- 
form regulations be instituted for the police of the railroads. The 
Empire shall take care that the administrative officers of the rail- 



104 Constitution of the German Empire. 

way lines keep the roads always in such a condition as is required 
for public security, and that they be equipped with such rolling 
stock as the needs of trade demand. 

Article 44. — Railway companies are bound to establish such 
passenger trains of suitable velocity as may be required for through 
traffic, and for the establishment of connecting time-tables ; also, 
to make provision for such freight trains as may be necessary for 
commercial purposes, and to establish arrangements for the direct 
forwarding of passengers and freight trains, transferring cars, 
when necessary, from one road to another, for the customary 
rates. 

Article 45. — The Empire shall have control over the tariff of 
charges. The same shall endeavor to cause : 

1. Uniform traffic regulations to be speedily introduced on all 
German railway lines. 

2. The tariff to be reduced and made uniform as far as pos- 
sible, and particularly to cause a reduction of the rates for the 
transport of coal, coke, wood, minerals, stone, salt, crude iron, 
fertilizers, and similar articles, for long distances, in keeping with 
the needs of agriculture and industry, and to introduce a one- 
penny tariff as soon as practicable. 

Article 46. — In case of distress, especially in the case of an 
extraordinary rise in the price of provisions, it shall be the duty of 
the railway companies to adopt temporarily a low special tariff, 
to be fixed by the Emperor, on motion of the competent commit- 
tee of the Federal Council, for the forwarding of grain, flour, 
vegetables, and potatoes. This tariff shall, however, not be less in 
the case of each line, than its lowest rate for raw produce. 

The foregoing provisions, and those of Articles 42 to 45, shall 
not apply to Bavaria. 

The imperial government has, however, the power also with 
regard to Bavaria to establish, by way of legislation, uniform 
rules for the construction and equipment of such railroads as may 
be important for the defence of the country. 

Article 47. — The managers of all railroads shall be required to 
obey, promptly, requisitions made by the authorities of the Em- 
pire for the use of their roads for the defence of Germany. Par- 
ticularly shall the troops and all material of war be forwarded at 
uniform reduced rates. 



Constitution of the German Umpire. 105 



VIII. Mails and Telegraphs. 

Article 48. — The mails and telegraphs shall be organized 
and managed as consolidated state institutions throughout the 
German Empire, The legislation of the Empire in regard to 
postal and telegraphic affairs, provided for in Article 4, does not 
extend to those matters which, according to the principles which 
have controlled the North German administration of mails and 
telegraphs, are settled by administrative rules and orders. 

Article 49. — The receipts from the post-office and telegraphs 
are an imperial revenue throughout the Empire. The expenses 
shall be paid from the general receipts. The surplus goes into* 
the treasury of the Empire. (Chap. XII.) 

Article 50. — The Emperor has the supreme supervision of the 
administration of mails and telegraphs. The authorities appointed 
by him are in duty bound and authorized to see that uniformity 
is established and maintained in the organization of the adminis. 
tration and in the transaction of business, as also in regard to the 
qualifications of officials. 

The Emperor shall have the power to make general administra- 
tive rules and orders and also exclusively to regulate the rela- 
tions with the postal and telegraph systems of other countries. 

It shall .be the duty of all officers of the post-office and tele- 
graph department to obey imperial orders. This obligation shall 
be included in their oath of office. 

The appointment of such superior officers (e. g. directors, coun- 
sellors, and superintendents) as shall be required for the adminis- 
tration of the mails and telegraphs in the various districts, also 
the appointment of supervising officers of the posts and telegraphs 
(such as inspectors or controllers), acting for the aforesaid authori- 
ties in the several districts, shall be made by the Emperor for the 
whole territory of the German Empire, and these officers shall 
take the oath of fealty to him as a part of their oath of office. 
The governments of the several States shall be informed in due 
time, with a view to confirmation and publication by them, of the 
aforementioned appointments, so far as they may relate to their 
territories. 

Other officers required by the department of mails and tele- 
graphs, as also all officers to be employed for local and technical 



106 Constitution of the G-erman Empire. 

service, officiating therefore at fixed places, shall be appointed by 
the respective governments of the States. Where an independent 
State postal and telegraph system does not exist, the provisions 
of the separate treaties shall apply. 

Article 51. — [Made a temporary provision for assigning to 
each State its proper quota of the postal surplus, for the eight 
years following its admission to the Empire.] 

Article 52. — The provisions of the foregoing Articles 48 to 51 
do not apply to Bavaria and Wurtemburg. In their stead the 
following provisions apply to these two States : 

The Empire has exclusive legislative power regarding the 
privileges of the postal and telegraphic services, regarding the 
relations of both with the public, regarding the franking privilege 
and postal rates, excepting, however, regulations and the fixing 
of rates for the internal mail service within Bavaria and Wurtem- 
burg ; excepting likewise the charges for telegraphic correspond- 
ence within those States. 

The Empire also has the power of regulating postal and tele- 
graphic intercourse with foreign countries, excepting the direct 
intercourse of Bavaria and Wurtemburg with their neighboring 
countries outside the Empire, the regulation of which shall be 
subject to tl^e provisions of Article 49 of the postal treaty of 
November 23, 1867. 

Bavaria and Wurtemburg shall have no share in the revenue 
accruing to the imperial treasury from the postal and telegraphic 
services. 

IX. Marine and Navigation. 

Article 53. — The navy of the Empire is a single force, under 
the supreme command of the Emperor. The Emperor is charged 
with its organization and composition, and he shall appoint the 
officers and officials of the navy, and in his name these and the 
seamen are to be sworn in. 

The harbor of Kiel and the harbor of the lade are imperial war 
harbors. 

The expenditures required for the establishment and mainte- 
nance of the navy and the institutions connected therewith shall 
be defrayed from the treasury of the Empire. 



Constitution of the German Empire. 107 



All sea-faring men of the Empire, including engineers and ship- 
wrights, are exempt from service in the army, but obliged to 
serve in the imperial navy. 

The apportionment of men to supply the wants of the navy shall 
be made according to the actual sea-faring population, and the 
quota furnished in accordance herewith by each State shall be 
credited to the State in its quota for the land army. 

Article 54. — The merchant vessels of all the States of the 
Empire form a single merchant marine. 

The Empire shall determine the manner of ascertaining the 
tonnage of merchant vessels, shall regulate the carrying of 
registers and other papers j and shall fix the conditions for the 
certification of masters and mates. 

The merchant vessels of all the States of the Empire shall be 
admitted and treated on equal terms in all the ports and on all 
the natural and artificial water-ways of each State. The port- 
dues imposed on ships or their cargoes for the benefit of marine 
institutions, shall not exceed the costs of maintenance and cus- 
tomary repair of these establishments. 

On all natural water-ways dues shall be imposed only for the 
use of special establishments designed to facilitate commerce. 
These dues, as well as the charges for passing over artificial 
water-ways belonging to the States, must not exceed the neces- 
sary costs of maintenance and customary repairs of these in- 
stitutions and works. These provisions apply to rafting, so far 
as the same is carried on on navigable water-ways. 

The power of imposing on foreign vessels or their cargoes 
other or higher dues than are imposed on German vessels or 
their Cargoes does not belong to any State of the federation, but 
only to the Empire. 

Article 55. — The flag of the navy and the merchant marine is 
black, white, and red. 



X. The Consular System. 

Article 56. — The whole consular service of the German Em- 
pire is under the supervision of the Emperor, who shall appoint 
the Consuls on the recommendation of the Committee of the 
Federal Council on Trade and Commerce. 



108 Constitution of the G-erman Umpire. 

In the official district of a German consul, no new consulate of 
any State can be established. The German consuls exercise in 
their districts the functions of State Consuls for those States that 
are not represented there. All the existing consulates of the 
separate States shall be abolished as soon as the organization of 
German consulates is so far completed that, in the opinion of the 
Federal Council, the interests of all the separate States are suffi- 
ciently represented by German consuls. 



XI. Military Affairs of the Empire. 

Article 57. — Every German is subject to military duty, and in 
the discharge of this duty no substitute can be accepted. 

Article 58. — The costs and burdens of the general military sys- 
tem of the Empire are to be borne by all the States and their 
subjects equally, so that neither privileges nor special burdens of 
single States or classes shall be allowed in principle. Where 
equal sharing of the burdens in kind is impossible without injury 
to the public welfare, a just equalization shall be made by law. 

Article 59. — Every German capable of bearing arms shall 
serve for seven years in the standing army, ordinarily from the 
end of his twentieth to the beginning of his twenty-eighth year ; 
the first three years with the colors, the last four years in the 
reserve ; during the next five years he shall belong to the 
Landwehr of the first class ; and then, until the 31st of March of 
the year in which he becomes 39 years old, in the Landwehr of the 
second class. 

Article 60. — . . The number of men to be kept in the army, 
on a peace footing, shall be determined by imperial law. 

Article 61. — After the publication of this constitution the full 
Prussian military law shall be introduced without delay through- 
out the Empire, as well the statutes themselves as the regula- 
tions, instructions and rescripts issued for their execution, 
explanation, or completion ; more particularly the Army Criminal 
Code of April 3, 1845, the ordinance relating to Courts Martial 
of April 3, 1845, the decree as to Courts of Honor of July 20, 
1843, the provisions as to the levy of conscripts, the time of 
service, rations, and attendance, billeting, compensation for injury 
to grounds, mobilization, etc., both in peace and war. The 



Constitution of the German Umpire. 109 

regulations as to religious exercises in the army are, however, not 
included. 

After the organization of the German army has been completed 
on a uniform plan, a comprehensive military law for the Empire 
shall be laid before the Diet and the Federal Council for adoption 
in accordance with this Constitution. 

Article 62. — For covering the cost of the combined German 
army and the establishments belonging thereto, there shall be 
placed annually at the disposal of the Emperor, until December 
31, 1871, as many times 225 thalers as there are soldiers in the 
army on a peace footing. Compare Ch. XII. 

After December 31, 1871, these contributions of the several 
States shall be paid into the imperial treasury. For the determina- 
tion of the amount thereof, the provisional peace footing adopted 
in Article 60 shall be used, until the same shall be changed by 
an imperial law. 

The expenditure of this sum for the combined army of the Em- 
pire and its establishments, shall be regulated by the budget law. 

In the fixing of the military budget the military organization 
lawfully established in accordance with this constitution, shall be 
taken as the basis of the whole. 

Article 63. — The total land force of the Empire shall form one 
army, which, in war and in peace, shall be under the command of 
the Emperor. 

The regiments, etc., shall bear continuous numbers throughout 
the whole German army. For the uniforms, the colors and cut 
of the royal army of Prussia shall serve as a pattern. The 
commanders of the several contingents shall have the right to 
fix upon the special badges (cocades, etc.) for their contingents. 

It shall be the duty and the right of the Emperor to take care 
that, throughout the German army, all divisions be kept full and 
in good condition, and that unity be established and maintained 
in regard to organization and formation, in armor and command, 
in the training of the men, as well as in the qualification of the 
officers. For this purpose the Emperor shall be authorized to 
satisfy himself at any time of the condition of the several con- 
tingents, and to provide remedies for any defects that may 
be found. 

The Emperor fixes the aggregate number, the rank and divi- 
sions of the contingents of the imperial army, as well as the 



110 Constitution of the German ^Empire. 

organization of the Landwehr ; and has authority to designate 
the garrisons within the territory of the Empire as also to order 
the placing of any portion of the imperial army on a war foot- 
ing- 

In order to maintain the necessary unity in the administration, 
commissariat, arms, and equipment of all divisions of the German 
army, all orders issued in future for the Prussian army, are to be 
communicated in appropriate manner, through the committee on 
the army and fortresses, provided for in Article 8, to the com- 
manders of the other contingents, to be observed by them. 

Article 64. — All German troops are bound implicitly to obey 
the orders of the Emperor. This obligation shall be included in 
the oath taken on entering the army. The commander-in-chief 
of each contingent, as well as all officers commanding troops of 
more than one contingent, and all commanders of fortresses, 
shall be appointed by the Emperor. The officers appointed by 
the Emperor shall take the oath of fealty to him. The appoint- 
ment of generals, or of officers performing the duties of generals 
in each contingent, shall be in all cases subject to the approval of 
the Emperor. 

As regards transfers, with or without promotion, the Emperor 
is empowered in selecting officers for the imperial service, 
whether in the Prussian army or in the other contingents, to 
choose from among the officers of all the contingents of the 
imperial army. 

Article 65. — The right to build fortresses within the territory 
of the Empire belongs to the Emperor, who shall propose a grant 
of the necessary means so far as not covered by the ordinary 
appropriation, in accordance with Chapter XII. 

Article 66. — Where special conventions do not otherwise pro- 
vide, the princes of the Empire and the Senates in the free cities, 
appoint the officers of their contingents, subject to the limitation 
of Article 64. They are chiefs of all the troops belonging to their 
respective territories, and shall enjoy all the honors attached to 
this rank. They have . explicitly the right of inspection at all 
times, and in addition to the usual reports and notices of changes 
communicated with a view to publication by them, they shall 
receive timely information of promotions and appointments affect- 
ing the portions of the army within their territory. 



Constitution of the G-erman Empire. HI 

They also have the right, for police purposes, not only to make 
use of their own troops, but also to require the services of all 
other portions of the imperial army stationed within their terri- 
tories. 

Article 67. — Unexpended balances of the military budget 
shall in no case accrue to a single State, but always to the imperial 
treasury. 

Article 68. — The Emperor shall have the power, if the public 
security is threatened in the territory of the Empire, to declare 
martial law in any part thereof. Until the publication of a law 
regulating the grounds, the form of announcement, and the effect 
of such a declaration, the provisions of the Prussian law of June 
4, 1851, shall be applicable thereto. (Laws of 1851, page 451.) 

Concluding Provision of Chapter XI. 

The provisions contained in this chapter shall be subject as 
regards Bavaria to the terms of the treaty of alliance of November 
23, 1870 (Imperial Gazette, 1871, page 9) and as regards "Wur- 
temburg, to the the terms of the Military Convention of November 
21-25, 1870. (Imperial Gazette, 1870, page 658.) 

XII. Imperial Finances. 

Article 69. — All revenues and expenditures of the Empire 
must be estimated each year, and incorporated in the imperial 
budget. The latter shall be fixed by law before the beginning of 
each budget-year, according to the following principles-: 

Article 70. — Towards covering all common expenditures any 
surpluses of the preceding year are to be applied; also all the 
common revenues accruing from import duties, from imperial 
excise duties, and from the postal and telegraph systems. So far as 
the expenditures are not covered by these resources, and until the 
introduction of [other] imperial taxes, the deficiency is to be 
made up by contributions from the several States in proportion to 
their population. The Imperial Chancellor shall assess these 
contributions, up to the amount demanded by the budget. 

Article 71. — The common appropriations shall ordinarily be 
granted for a year ; they can, however, in special cases, be granted 
for a longer period. 



Constitution of the German Empire. 

During the transition period spoken of in Article 60, the classi- 
fied budget of military expenditure is to be laid before the 
Federal Council and the Diet for purposes of information and 
record only. 

Article 72. — Accounts showing the expenditure of all imperial 
revenues are to be laid yearly before the Federal Council and the 
Diet by the Chancellor for audit. 

Article 73. — In cases of extraordinary need, imperial laws may 
provide for raising loans, as also for the assumption of responsi- 
bility by way of guarantee. 

Concluding Provision or Chapter XII. 

As regards the expenditures for the Bavarian army, Articles 69 
and 71 shall be subject to the provisions of the treaty of Novem- 
ber 23, 1870, mentioned in the concluding provision of Chapter 
XI ; and Article 72 shall apply only in so far as it is necessary 
to satisfy the Federal Council and Diet of the assignment to 
Bavaria of the sum necessary for the Bavarian army. 

XIII. Settlement of Disputes and Modes of Punishment. 

Article 74. — Every attempt against the existence, the integrity, 
the security, or the constitution of the German Empire ; finally, 
any libelling of the Federal Council, of the Diet, of a member 
of the Federal Council or of the Diet, of a magistrate or public 
official of the Empire, while in the discharge of his duty, or with 
reference to his official duty, by word, writing, printing, .signs, or 
caricatures, shall be judicially investigated and punished in the 
several States of the Empire according to the laws therein exist- 
ing, or which shall hereafter exist in the same, according to 
which laws a similar offence committed against the individual 
State, its constitution, legislature, members of its legislature, 
authorities or officials, is to be judged. 

Article 75. — For those of the offences against the German 
Empire designated in Article 74, which, if committed against the 
individual State, are regarded as high treason or treason against 
the State, the Common Court of Appeals of the three Hanseatic 
cities in Liibeck shall be the competent court of original and 
appellate jurisdiction. 



Constitution of the German JUmpire. 

More definite provisions regarding the jurisdiction and proced- 
ure of the Court shall be made by imperial law. Until the issue 
of such an imperial law, the rules hitherto in use as to jurisdiction 
of the Courts in the several States, and as to their procedure, 
shall be applicable. 

Article 76. — Disputes between the different States of the Con- 
federation so far as they are not of a private nature and therefore 
to be decided by the competent judicial authorities, shall be 
settled by the Federal Council at the request of one of the parties. 

Disputes relating to constitutional matters in those of the 
States of the Confederation whose constitutions establish no 
authority having power to settle such differences, shall be adjusted 
by the Federal Council at the request of one of the parties, or, if 
this cannot be done, they shall be settled by the legislative power 
of the Empire. 

Article 77. — If in one of the States of the Confederation 
justice shall be denied, and no sufficient relief can be procured by 
legal measures, it shall be the duty of the Federal Council to 
receive substantiated complaints concerning denial or restriction 
of justice, which are to be judged according to the constitution 
and the existing laws of the State in question, and thereupon to 
obtain judicial relief at the hands of the State government which 
shall have given rise to the complaint. 

XIV. General Provision. 

Article 78. — Amendments to the constitution shall be made by 
legislative enactment. They shall be considered as rejected 
when 14 votes are cast against them in the Federal Council. 

The provisions of the constitution of the Empire, by which 
definite rights of individual States of the Confederation are estab- 
lished in their relation to the whole, can be modified only with 
the consent of the State immediately concerned. 



CONSTITUTION OF THE KINGDOM OF PRUSSIA. 

The following clauses contain the most important provisions of the 
Constitution of 1850. 

Article 43. — The person of the King is inviolable. 

Article 44. — The King's Ministers are responsible. All gov- 
ernment acts (documentary) of the King require for their validity 
the approval of a Minister, who thereby assumes responsibility for 
them. 

Article 45. — The King alone is invested with executive power. 
He appoints and dismisses Ministers. He orders the promulga- 
tion of laws, and issues the necessary ordinances for their execu- 
tion. 

Article 46. — The King is Commander-in-Chief of the army. 

Article 47. — The King fills all posts in the army, as well as in 
other branches of the State service, in so far as not otherwise 
ordained bv law. 

Article 48. — The King has the right to declare war and make 
peace, and to conclude other treaties with foreign governments. 
The latter require for their validity the assent of the Chambers in 
so far as they are commercial treaties or impose burdens on the 
State, or obligations on its individual subjects. 

Article 49. — The King has the right to pardon, and to miti- 
gate punishment. But in favor of a minister condemned for his 
official acts this right can only be exercised on the motion of that 
Chamber whence his indictment emanated. Only by special law 
can the King suppress inquires already instituted. 

Article 51. — The King convokes the Chambers and closes 
their sessions. He may dissolve both at once, or only one at a 
time. In such a case, however, the electors must be assembled 
within a period of 60 days, and the Chambers summoned within a 
period of 90 days, respectively, after the dissolution. 

Article 52. — The King can adjourn the Chambers. But with- 
out their assent this adjournment may not exceed the space of 
30 days, nor be repeated during the same session. 



The Constitution of Prussia. 115 

Article 53. — The Crown, according to the laws of the Royal 
House, is hereditary in the male line of that House in accordance 
with the law of primogeniture and agnatic succession. 

Article 54.— The King attains his majority on completing his 
18th year. In presence of the united Chambers he will take the 
oath to observe the Constitution of the Monarchy steadfastly and 
inviolably, and to rule in accordance with it and the laws. 

Article 55. — Without the consent of both Chambers the King 
cannot also be ruler of foreign realms. 

Article 56. — If the King is a minor, or is otherwise lastingly 
prevented from ruling himself, the Regency will be undertaken 
by that agnate (Art. 53) who has attained his majority and stands 
nearest the Crown. He has immediately to convoke the Cham- 
bers, which, in united session, will decide as to the necessity of 
the Regency. 

Article 57. — If there be no agnate of age, and if no legal pro- 
vision has previously been made for such a contingency, the Min- 
istry of State will convoke the Chambers, which shall then elect 
a Regent in united session. And until the Assumption of the 
Regency by him, the Ministry of State will conduct the Govern- 
ment. 

Article 58. — The Regent will exercise the powers invested in 
the King in the latter' s name ; and, after institution of the Regency, 
he will take an oath before the United Chambers, to observe the 
Constitution of the Monarchy steadfastly and inviolably, and to 
rule in accordance with it and the laws. Until this oath is taken 
the whole Ministry of State for the time being will remain 
responsible for all acts of the Government. 

Article 60. — The ministers as well as the State officials ap- 
pointed to represent them, have access to each Chamber, and must 
at all times be listened to at request. Each Chamber can demand 
the presence of the Ministers. The Ministers are only entitled to 
vote in one or other of the Chambers when members of it. 

Article 61. — On a resolution of a Chamber the Ministers may 
be impeached for the crime of infringing the Constitution, of 
bribery, and of treason. The decision of such a case lies with the 
Supreme Tribunal of the Monarchy sitting in the United Senates. 
As long as two Supreme Tribunals co- exist, they shall unite for 



116 The Constitution of Prussia. 

the above purpose. Further details as to matters of responsibility, 
procedure thereupon, and punishments, are reserved for a special 
law. 

Article 62. — The legislative power will be exercised in com- 
mon by the King and by two Chambers. Every law requires the 
assent of the King and the two Chambers. Money bills and 
budgets shall first be laid before the Second Chamber ; and the 
latter (i. e. budgets) shall either be wholly approved by the First 
Chamber, or rejected altogether. 

Article 63. — In the event only of its being urgently necessary 
to maintain public security, or deal with an unusual state of dis- 
tress when the Chambers are not in session, ordinances, which do 
not contravene the Constitution, may be issued with the force of 
law, on the responsibility of the whole Ministry. But these must 
be laid for approval before the Chambers at their next meeting. 

Article 64. — The King, as well as each Chamber, has the right 
of proposing laws. Bills that have been rejected by one of the 
Chambers, or by the King, cannot be re-introduced in the same 
session. 

Article 65-68. — The First Chamber is formed by Royal ordi- 
nance, which can only be altered by a law to be issued with the 
approval of the Chambers. The First Chamber is composed of 
members appointed by the King, with hereditary rights, or only 
for life. 

Article 69. — The Second Chamber consists of 433 members. 
The electoral districts are determined by law. They may consist 
of one or more circles, or of one or more of the larger towns. 

Article 70. — Every Prussian who has completed his 25th year 
and is capable of taking part in the elections of the Commune 
where he is domiciled, is entitled to act as a primary voter 
(Urwahler). Any one who is entitled to take part in the election 
of several Communes, can only exercise his right as primary voter 
in one Commune. 

Article 71. — For every 250 souls of the population, one elector 
( Wahlmann) shall be chosen. The primary voters fall into three 
classes, in proportion to the amount of direct taxes they pay — and 
in such a manner as that each class shall represent a third of the 
sum-total of the taxes paid by the primary voters. This sum-total 
is reckoned : — 



The Constitution of Prussia. 117 

a. by Communes, in case the Commune forms of itself a primary 
electoral district. 

b. by (Government) Districts (Bezirke), in case the primary 
electoral district consists of several Communes. 

The first class consists of those primary voters, highest in the 
scale of taxation, who pay a third of the total. The second class 
consists of those primary voters, next highest in the scale, whose 
taxes form a second third of the whole ; and the third class is made 
up of the remaining tax-payers (lowest in the scale) who contrib- 
ute the other third of the whole. Each class votes apart, and for a 
third of the secondary electors. These classes may be divided into 
several voting sections, none of which, however, must include more 
than 500 primary voters. The electors are elected in each class 
from the number of the primary voters in their district, without 
regard to the classes. 

Article 72. — The deputies are elected by the electors. Details 
will be regulated by an electoral law. . . 

Article 73. — The legislative period of the Second Chamber is 
fixed at three years. 

Article 74. — Every Prussian who has completed his thirtieth 
year, has forfeited none of his civil rights in consequence of a valid 
judicial sentence, and has been a Prussian subject for three years, 
is eligible as deputy to the Second Chamber. The president and 
members of the Supreme Chamber of Accounts cannot sit in 
either House of the Diet (Landtag). 

Article 75. — After the lapse of a legislative period the Cham- 
bers will be elected anew, and the same in the event of dissolution. 
In both cases previous members are re- eligible. 

Article 76. — Both Houses of the Diet of the Monarchy shall be 
regularly convened by the King in the period from the beginning 
of November in each year till the middle of the following January 
and otherwise as often as circumstances require. 

Article 77. — The Chambers will be opened and closed by the 
King in person, or by a Minister appointed by him to do so, at a 
combined sitting of the Chambers. Both Chambers shall be 
simultaneously convened, opened, adjourned, and closed. If one 
Chamber is dissolved, the other shall be at the same time prorogued. 

Article 78. — Each Chamber will examine the credentials of its 
members, and decide thereupon. It will regulate its own order of 



118 The Constitution of Prussia* 

business and discipline by special ordinances, and elect its presi- 
dent, vice-president, and office-bearers. Civil servants require no 
leave of absence in order to enter the Chamber. If a member of 
the Chamber accepts a salaried office of the State, or is promoted 
in the service of the State to a post involving higher rank or in- 
crease of pay, he shall lose his seat and vote in the Chamber, and 
can only recover his place in it by re-election. No one can be 
member of both Chambers. 

Article 79. — The sittings of both Chambers are public. On the 
motion of its president, or of ten members, each Chamber may 
meet in private sitting — at which this motion will then have to be 
discussed. 

Article 80. — Neither of the Chambers can pass a resolution unless 
there be present a majority of the legal number of its members. 
Each Chamber passes its resolutions by absolute majority of votes, 
subject to any exceptions that may be determined by the order of 
business for elections. 

Article 81. — Each Chamber has the separate right of presenting 
addresses to the King. No one may in person present to the 
Chambers, or to one of them, a petition or address. Each Cham- 
ber can transmit the communications made to it to the Ministers, 
and demand of them an answer to any grievances thus conveyed. 

Article 82. — Each Chamber is entitled to appoint commissions 
of inquiry into facts — for its own information. 

Article 83. — The members of both Chambers are representatives 
of the whole people. They vote according to their simple convic- 
tions, and are not bound by commissions or instructions. 

Article 84. — For their votes in the Chamber they can never be 
called to account, and for the opinions they express therein, they 
can only be called to account within the Chamber, in virtue of 
the order of business. No member of a Chamber can, without its 
assent, be had up for examination, or be arrested during the Par- 
liamentary session for any penal offence, unless he be taken in the 
act, or in the course of the following day. A similar assent shall 
be necessary in the case of arrest for debts. All criminal pro- 
ceedings against a member of the Chamber, and all arrests for 
preliminary examination, or civil arrest, shall be suspended during 
the Parliamentary session on demand from the Chamber concerned. 

Article 85. — The members of the Second Chamber shall receive 



The Constitution of Prussia. 119 

out of the State Treasury travelling expenses and daily fees, accord- 
ing to a statutory scale ; and renunciation thereof shall be in- 
admissible. 

Article 94. — In criminal cases the guilt of the accused shall be 
determined by jurymen, in so far as exceptions are not determined 
by a law issued with the previous assent of the Chambers. The 
formation of a jury-court shall be regulated by a law. 

Article 97. — A law shall determine the conditions on which 
public, civil, and military officials may be sued for wrongs com- 
mitted by them in exceeding their functions. But the previous 
assent of official superiors need not be requested. 

Article 107. — The Constitution may be altered by ordinary leg- 
islative means ; and such alteration shall merely require the usual 
absolute majority in both Chambers on two divisions between 
which there must elapse a period of at least twenty-one days. 

Article 108. — The members of both Chambers, and all State 
officials, shall take the oath of fealty and obedience to the King, 
and swear conscientiously to observe the Constitution. The army 
will not take the oath to the Constitution. 

[This translation is taken from Lowe's Prince Bismarck, Appen- 
dix E.] 



EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS IN VARIOUS 

COUNTRIES. 

OFFICERS OF THE U. S. ADMINISTRATION. 



The President of the United States. 
Secretary of State. 

" " the Treasury. 

" " War. 

" " the Navy. 

" " the Interior. 

Postmaster General. 
Attorney General. 
Secretary of Agriculture. 

Salaries : President, $50,000 ; Secretaries, 
dent, $10,000. 

Subordinate Ministers. 



Solicitor General 
Assitant Secretaries: 

State Department, three, 

Treasury " three, 

War " one, 

Navy " one, 

Interior two, 

Agriculture ' ' one, 

Assistant Postmasters General, three, 
Attorneys General, three, 
" one, 
Solicitor of the Treasury 
Assistant " " " 

Solicitor of Internal Revenue 
Naval Solicitor 
Examiner of Claims 

Comptrollers of accounts, two, 
Auditors of the Treasury, six, 
Deputy Auditors of the Treasury, six, 
Treasurer .... 
Commisioner of Customs 

" Internal Revenue 
Comptroller of the Currency 
Register of the Treasury 

Commissioner of the Land Office 
" " Indian Affairs 



,000; Vice-Presi- 



Salary. 

$7,000 



3,500 
4,500 
4,500 
4,500 
3,500 
3,500 
4,000 
5,000 
4,000 

4,000 

3,000 
5,000 
3,500 
4,000 

5,000 
4,000 
2,500 
6,500 
4,500 
6,000 
5,000 
4,500 

4,000 
3,000 



Executive Departments in Various Countries. 121 

Commisioner of Pensions $4,000 

" " Patents . 4,500 

" " Education 3,000 

" " Labor 5,000 

There are some other officers above the grade of clerkships, but 
those named in the list are the most notable. Since no office can 
be held by members of Congress, it is not easy to distinguish, in 
our case, between ministerial and merely administrative offices, 
especially as the practice of treating all offices as party spoils is 
so generally followed at Washington. Some of the subordinate 
offices in the foregoing list call for technical knowledge, for 
example the last two in the list. In such cases there is a dispo- 
sition to " keep the office out of politics," allowing the holder to 
retain the place through several successive administrations. 



AN ENGLISH MINISTRY. 
(4th Gladstone, 1892-94.) 



Office. 


Salary. 

£ 


Holder was a 
Member of 


First Lord of the Treasury. 


5,000 


Commons. Office usually held by the 
Prime Minister. 


Lord High Chancellor. 


10,000 


Lords. 


Lord Pres. of Privy Coun. 


2,000 


Lords. 


Lord Privy Seal. 


2,000 


— (Held, without salary, by the 
Prime Minister. ) 


Chancellor of Exchequer. 


5,000 


Commons. 


Home Secretary. 


5,000 


Commons. 


Foreign Secretary. 


5,000 


Lords. 


Colonial Secretary. 


5,000 


Lords. 


Secretary for War. 


5,000 


Commons. 


Secretary for India. 


5,000 


Commons. 


First Lord of Admiralty. 


4,500 


Lords. 


Chief Sec. for Ireland. 


4,425 


Commons. 


Secretary for Scotland. 


2,000 


Commons. (Office estab. 1885: holder 
not usually in Cabinet. ) 


Chan, of Duchy of Lane. 


2,000 


Commons. (Not always in Cabinet. ) 


Pres. of Board of Trade. 


2,000 


Commons. 


Pres. of Loc. Gov. Bd. 


2,000 


Commons. 


Postmaster General. 


2,500 


Commons. (Not always in Cabinet.) 


Vice-Pres. of Council. 






(Minister of Education.) 


2,000 


Commons. (Not always in Cabinet.) 


First Comm. of Works. 


2,000 


Commons. (Not usually in Cabinet) 



These eighteen ministers formed the Cabinet; five were Peers and thirteen 
were Commoners. They were all members of the Privy Council. In the 
last preceding ministry, the Cabinet consisted of eight Peers and nine Com- 
moners. The 3rd Salisbury Cabinet (1895) consists of nineteen ministers of 
whom nine are Peers. 



122 Executive Departments in Various Countries. 



Office. 


Salary. 


Holder was a 




£ 


Member 


OF 


Lord Lieut, of Ireland. 


20,000 


Lords and P. C. (Sometimes in Cabinet.) 


Lord Chan, of Ireland. 


8,000 


— (Usually a memeber of Parliament 
and sometimes in Cabinet. ) 


Pres. of Board of Agric. 


2,000 


Commons and P. C. (Office estab. in 1889.) 


Parliamentary (or Patron- 








age) Sec. to the Treas'y. 


2,000 


Commons. 


(Chief whip.) 


Financial Sec. to Treas. 


2,000 


Commons and P. C. 


Junior Lords of the Treas- 








ury (three), each. 


1,000 


Commons. 


(Assistant whips.,) 


Paymaster General. 


unpaid. 


Commons. 


(Usually a Peer.) 


Lords of the Admiralty: 








the Civil Lord. 


1,000 


Commons. 


(In addition to the First 






Lord and the Civil Lord there are four 






Naval Lords who are naval officers; 






they resign at every change of minis- 






try, but 


are not usually members of 






either House.) 


Parliamentary Sec. : 








To the Admiralty. 


2,000 


Commons. 




To the Board of Trade. 


1,200 


Commons. 




To Loc. Gov. Board. 


1,200 


Commons. 




Under Secretaries: 








Home Department. 


1,500 


Commons. 




Foreign Affairs. 


1,500 


Commons. 




Colonies. 


1,500 


Commons. 




India. 


1,500 


Lords. 




War. 


1,000 


Lords. 




Fin. Sec. to the War Office. 


1,500 


Commons. 




Attorney General. 


10,000 


Commons. 




Solicitor General. 


9,000 


Commons. 




Ld. Advocate for Scotland. 


5,000 


Commons. 




Atty. Gen. for Ireland. 


5,000 


— 


Not always in Parliament. 


Solicitor Gen. for Ireland. 


2,000 


— 


Not usually in Parliament. 


Solicitor Gen. for Scotland. 


2,000 


Commons. 


Not always in Parliament. 


Officers of the House- 








hold. 








Lord Steward. 


2,000 


Lords. 


* 


Treasurer. 


904 


Lords. 




Comptroller. 


904 


Commons. 




Lord Chamberlain. 


2,000 


Lords. 




Yice Chamberlain. 


924 


Commons. 




Capt. of the Yeomen of 








the Guard. 


1,200 


Lords. 




Capt. of the Gentlemen 








at Arms. 


1,000 


Lords. 




Master of the Horse. 


2,500 


Lords. 




Master of the Buck- 








hounds. 


1,700 


Lords. 




Lords in Waiting, six. 


ea. 702 


Lords. 





Executive Departments in Various Countries. 123 



THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET OF THE 
UNITED STATES IN 1901. 

President: Theodore Roosevelt of New York. 

Secretary of State: John Hay of the District of Columbia. 

Secretary of the Treasury : Lyman Judson Gage of Illinois. 

Secretary of War: Elihu Root of New York. 

Secretary of the Navy: John Davis Long of Massachusetts. 

Secretary of the Interior: Ethan Allen Hitchcook of Missouri. 

Postmaster-General : Charles Emory Smith of Pennsylvania. 

Attorney-General : John William Griggs of New Jersey. 

Secretary of Agriculture: James Wilson of Iowa. 

THE ENGLISH CABINET IN 1901. 

Prime Minister and Lord Privy Seal:Rt. Hon. the Marquis of Salisbury. 
Lord President of the Council: Rt. Hon. the Duke of Devonshire. 

Lord High Chancellor: Rt. Hon. the Earl of Halsbury. 

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster :Rt. Hon. Lord James of Hereford. 
First Lord of the Treasury: Rt. Hon. Arthur J. Balfour. 

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs :Rt. Hon. the Marquis of Lansdowne. 
Secretary of State for the Home 

Department: Rt. Hon. C. T. Ritchie. 

Chancellor of the Exchequer: Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach. 

Secretary of State for the Colonies : Rt. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain. 
Secretary of State for War. Rt. Hon. W. St. J. Brodrick. 

Secretary of State for India : Rt. Hon. Lord George Hamilton. 

First Lord of the Admiralty: Rt. Hon. the Earl of Selbourne. 

President of the Local Govt. Board : Rt. Hon. W. H. Long. 
President of the Board of Trade: Rt. Hon. G. W. Balfour. 

Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland: Rt. Hon. the Earl Cadogan. 

Lord Chancellor of Ireland: Rt. Hon. Lord Ashbourne. 

Secretary for Scotland: Rt. Hon. Lord Balfour of Burleigh. 

First Commissioner of Works: Rt. Hon. A. Akers-Douglas. 

President of the Board of Agriculture :Rt. Hon. R. W. Hanbury. 
Postmaster-General: Rt. Hon. the Marquis of Londonderry 



124 Executive Departments in Various Countries. 

THE FRENCH MINISTRY. 

The French ministers are, in form, appointed by the President of 
the Republic. But the President's part seems to be limited to the 
choice of a man to form the ministry. The man so chosen selects 
his colleagues, and shares the offices among them in the way he 
thinks most effective, reserving always one for himself. There is 
not, as in England, a custom in favor of any particular office for 
the Prime Minister; nor are there any sinecure positions. Each 
minister is at the head of a working department. 

The ministerial departments are, at present, as follows (1895) : 

Finance (held by the Prime Minister). 

Foreign Affairs. 

The Interior. 

Education and Public Worship. 

Justice. 

Commerce. 

Agriculture. 

Public Works. 

War. 

The Navy. 

The Colonies. 

Since the ministers are responsible to the House for the actions 
of the government (Loi I, Art. 6), it is practically necessary that 
they should be members of the legislature. An attempt was made 
in 1877, by President McMahon, to have ministers who were not 
members of the Chambers, but the experiment wholly failed. 
There are, however, two ministerial offices, — War and the Navy, 
— which are supposed to require professional knowledge ; these are 
occasionally held by generals and admirals who are not members 
of either Chamber. 

Ministerial offices may be created or abolished by decree of the 
President. The ministry of the Colonies is of recent creation. A 
ministry of Postes et TeUgraphes was established in 1879 and discon- 
tinued in 1887; a ministry of the Fine Arts was created in 1881 
but, at the next following change of ministry, it was suppressed. 
What happens in such cases is that a bureau or division of a minis- 
try is erected into a separate department with a parliamentary head 



Executive Departments in Various Countries, 125 

of its own ; or one of the previous departments is reduced to the 
position of a division or bureau. 

The office of under-secretary has been tried in France, but ap- 
parently the results were not satisfactory. From 1877 to 1890 
there were, in every ministry, several of these, — usually from five 
to seven. In the Gambetta ministry of 1881 there were nine. But 
one by one they have been discontinued. The last of them, the 
under-secretaryship for the Colonies, has now been raised to the 
rank of a separate ministry. It was previously a bureau, at one 
time under the Minister of the Navy, but latterly under the Minis- 
ter of Commerce. The under-secretaries were ordinarily members 
of either the Senate or the Chamber. 



MINISTERS OF THE GERMAN EMPIRE AND THE 
KINGDOM OF PRUSSIA. 

The German Empire has no avowed Ministry or Cabinet. The 
Chancellor is at the head of the whole administration ; under his 
supervision five Secretaries of State and six Presidents of Bureaus 
carry on the active work of administration. The subordinate min- 
isters are supposed to confer individually with the Chancellor and 
to be guided by his personal judgment. But it is said that, es- 
pecially since the resignation of Prince Bismarck in 1890, the 
Chancellor and the five Secretaries of State tend more and more to 
constitute an Imperial Ministry with deliberative functions. But 
so long as the Emperor maintains the right of personal judgment 
in matters of State, there is no room for a fully developed Cabinet. 

The departments of the five Imperial Secretaries of State are as 
follows : — 

Foreign Affairs. 

The Interior. (The Secretary of the Interior is also Vice- 
Chancellor.) 

Admiralty. 

Justice. 

The Treasury. 

The Kingdom of Prussia has long had a Ministry of State, — 
Staatsministerium, — composed of the following ministers : — 

Minister-President, usually also holding the office of Foreign 
Minister ; 



126 Executive Departments in Various Countries, 

Vice-President ; 
Minister of the Interior ; 

" " War; 

" " Public Works; 

.< « Agriculture ; 

" " Justice ; 

" " Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs ; 

" " Finance; 

" " Commerce. 

Salaries : President, $13,000 ; other ministers, $8,666, with, in 
each case, an official residence. 

The Chancellor of the German Empire is Minister- President and 
Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Prussia. The Imperial Vice- 
Chancellor is also Vice-President of the Prussian Ministry. These 
arrangements are held to be necessary in order to maintain the 
requisite unity of policy between the two administrations. 

Both the German and the Prussian ministers are the personal 
choice of the Emperor-King. They are, for the most part, 
men who have worked their way to the front in official employ- 
ments. They are not chosen from among the people's represen- 
tatives, and are not under the necessity of having the confidence 
of the parliamentary bodies. They have, however, the consti- 
tutional right of taking part in the parliamentary debates, — 
a right they constantly exercise. Prince Bismarck was at the 
head of the Prussian Ministry continuously from 1862 to 1890,. 
and Chancellor from 1867 to 1890. 

THE SWISS EXECUTIVE. 

The Executive Government of Switzerland is in the hands of a 
Council of seven members, called the Federal Council. These are 
elected by the two houses of the Swiss legislature, sitting in joint 
session. They hold office for three years, and are usually re-elected 
as often as they are willing to serve. They are usually chosen 
from among the members of the two houses ; but election to the 
Federal Council vacates the seat of the member. One of the 
seven is designated annually by the legislature to act as President 
of the Council, with the title President of the Confederation. The 
President has, however, no legal preponderance over his colleagues. 



Executive Departments in Various Countries. 127 

All acts of government are in the name and by the order of the 
whole Council. 

The work of administration is divided into the following seven 
departments, each of which is presided over by a member of the 
Council, under the direction of the Council as a whole. The 
assignment of departments to the several members is made by 
the Council itself. 

Department of Foreign Affairs (usually assigned to the Pres- 1 
-dent). 

Department of the Interior. 

" " Justice and Police. 

" " the Army. 

" " Finance and Customs. 

" " Industry and Agriculture. 

" " the Post Office and Railways. 

Salaries : President, $2,700 ; other members, each, $2,400. 

THE CANADIAN MINISTRY. 

President of the Council (Prime Minister). 
Minister of Finance. 
Secretary of State. 
Postmaster General. 
Minister of Marine and Fisheries. 
" " Justice. 

" " Railways and Canals. 

" " Public Works. 

" " Militia and Defence. 

" " the Interior. 

" " Agriculture. 

" " Trade and Commerce. 

" " Customs. 

" " Inland Revenue. 

Generally also the ministry includes several members " without 
portfolio." There are " Deputy Ministers " in most of the depart- 
ments, but they are not members of the legislature and do not 
resign when there is a change of ministry. The ministers are all 
members of the legislature, and retain office so long as they have 
the support of a majority in the House of Commons. 
Salaries: Prime Minister, $8,000; Ministers, $7,000. 



LEAp'09 



MODERN CONSTITUTIONS 



HARVARD CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY 

Cambridge, Mass. 
1906 



